Father of Mine

I was thinking today about Father's day and thought about how my husband has always felt that his number one responsibility as a Father is to pray for his children, which he faithfully does. He says that by spending time praying for each child he focuses on how to be a better father and rely on the one Perfect Father of all of us. Here's a poem that came to me from a friend that says the same thing but in much better form (BTW, the book this is from is an excellent one and I highly recommend it for every family!)

Father of Mine

Father of mine, some years ago
You showed me the way I ought to go;
You led my feet past the treach’rous sand
By the gentle clasp of your own strong hand.

Father of mine, let me thank you for
The prayers you prayed and the burden you bore.
Like a guiding star thro’ the tempests’ strife,
All your precepts have shone on my path of life.

Father of mine, when the time has passed
And the work of my life is complete at last,
When I step ashore on the glory strand
With a grateful heart I will clasp your hand.

—Sarah K. Marinee

The above poem was selected from:
Poems for Patriarchs: The Verse and Prose of Christian Manhood,
compiled and edited by Doug Phillips.