What Should You Do for Father's Day?

I ask people what they are going to do for Mother's Day and I get an answer of elaborate plans. They will take their mothers out to eat, call their mothers if they can't be there in person, have a card already in the mail, send their mother flowers and have a gift already purchased and ready for the big day.

I ask people what they are going to do for Father's Day and they say, "When is that?" It seems that they don't know Father's Day comes around every year, too.

Truthfully, it is always hard to know what to do for Father's Day. We rush out and buy him a shirt and tie or some new gadget tool. We know he really needs neither of these but we feel we have to do something.

When you were younger, you made him something in Sunday School. In my day we made ash trays even if our fathers didn't smoke.( Hey, it was the thought that counted!) We were told what to do and Father's Day was easy. But then we got older and the responsibility became our own . . . .

I am now a dad with grown children. May I give you a dad's perspective of what I would like for Father's Day?

Father's Day should be a day that you honor your dad. It isn't about how good he was at being a father. He didn't have a manual that was given to all good fathers. He made some mistakes. He committed some sins. He needs to be honored- not chastised for what he did wrong. Forgive your dad of the times he was away and you felt you needed him. He was probably at work trying very hard to provide for you. He may have spent his time better but his heart was probably thinking of you.

Most fathers don't care about the gifts they will receive. They like what the gift represents, though. They know it means you are thinking about them. You are honoring them with this gift.

Don't try to relieve your guilt for neglecting your father with an elaborate gift. He would rather have had a few phone calls during the year than any gift. If you truly want to honor your dad, make a promise to yourself that you will honor him all year long.

Tell your dad you love him even if he can't say the words back to you. Many men have a hard time saying those words. Maybe they thought it made them weak at one time. Maybe they have a hard time with their emotions. It doesn't matter what the reason is. Just tell him that you love him. He wants to hear those words.

Thank your dad for something he did for you. It may be that he was the major wage earner in the family, it may be a special gift he gave you or it may be the character he instilled in your own life. Thanking dad makes him know his life was worth something.

When you honor your earthly father you obey and honor your Heavenly Father.

The scripture says, "Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the LORD your God gives you."