Father's Day

"Happy Father's Day?"
I was told that about 70 times yesterday.

"How was your Father's Day?"
I was asked that about 7 times today.

Well, I had one son break my iPhone, dump a glass of sweet tea all over me, and destroy 2 hours worth of video editing work.  If I didn't know any better I would say we adopted Will and Nate from a remote tribe of Apache Indians.  They are as close to out of control you can get.  The word rest doesn't exist in our house.  I wouldn't trade if for anything in the world though.  Well, except maybe a peaceful quiet weekend in the Bahamas.

I am just kidding!

When I first found out I would be a father over six years ago, I was speechless.  Seriously, I didn't talk for probably an hour.  It was one of those "I am God and I'll decide when you have a kid" pregnancies.  Now, life is unimaginable without my kids.  They are my pride and joy.

To be honest my Father's Day was as bittersweet as all of them have been.  You see every Father's Day I have celebrated as a father has been without my father.  My dad died in 2005, two months before my first son was born.  I realize more and more everyday how much influence he had on my life.  For instance, I received my love for fishing from my dad.  I am now passing down that fishing fever to my sons.  To say I miss my dad is an understatement.  I long to see his face and hear his voice.  To be honest, I would give your right arm just to have him yell at me again.  My dad taught me manly things.  Things like working with your hands, fishing, gardening, discretely passing gas in public.  I have perfected that last one.  He taught me how to work until you can't move and then work some more.

My dad came to know Jesus just 3 months prior to his death.  For 3 months he was the most dedicated Christ follower I have ever known.  He truly experienced what it means to become a "new creation".  So I spent most of my Father's Day enjoying the company of my sons and wishing I had the company of  my dad.  I can remember the day I had on a white t-shirt, jeans, and a tool belt and followed my dad around the house with him wearing his white t-shirt, jeans, and tool belt.  I wanted to be like him.  For a long time I was known as "Little Ricky", not Josh.

What if we tried so hard to be like our Heavenly Father that people would refer to us as "Little Jesus".  Cheesy, I know.  I can't believe I just stooped to that level of corny-ness.  It is true though.  Just like I was striving to be like my dad and my sons strive to be like me, God wants us to strive to be like Him.  He wants to be our hero.  Fathers are the most influential person in our lives.  Some of us have had great ones and others have never even known theirs.  Whatever the case is, we have a Heavenly Father that desires to be close to us.  So let me take another step of Christian corny-ness and say Happy Father's day to the only One who has shaped me more than Richard Tillman.