There is no perfect child, nor is there a perfect parent or a manual on how to raise kids and what to do when things go wrong. There is no end to the worries, and the hopes I have for them. It is literally like my heart is walking outside of me. I once heard someone say you only get 18 summers with them, make summer count. But poet Emma Heaphy phrases it perfectly.

She says:

“Everyone tells you, ‘You only have 18 summers with your kids.’ Everyone tells you, ‘You only have a few years before they start school.’ Everyone tells you, ‘Blink and you’ll miss it.’ But I want to offer you a new perspective. How about we tell people, ‘If you do it well, if you love them hard, if you show up for them when they need you to, it is not just 18 summers.’”

Her perspective says childhood might be 18 summers, but your child is a lifelong journey. Their early years are just the beginning of a love story. Them starting school is only a chapter of the story being written. The foundation you build with your child now, shapes the adult they will become. An adult who returns to you or wants nothing to do with you. An adult who comes to you when they need prayer or one who feels as if they have nobody in their corner. An adult who is secure and sure of themselves because you gave them someone they could always count on or one who is insecure because they were never good enough. You gave them a solid foundation to stand on or one they felt was going to crumble as they walked. Parenthood isn’t perfection, it is being present, consistent, full of unconditional love, and guidance.

Although there is no perfect 101 or how to manual. There is no perfect parent or child. We do have a perfect heavenly Father and His word, The Bible. He shows us perfect love, compassion, and tenderness. He helps us grow in integrity and wisdom with guidance and discipline. He offers us protection and provision. He freely gives unconditional love in grace and mercy, waiting to embrace us and readily willing to forgive. He will always lend an ear and listen whole heartedly. He will meet you where you are.

Isaiah 53:5

“But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds, we are healed.”

Matthew 11:28

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

Psalms 34:18

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”

John 16:33

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Matthew 9:12-13

“On hearing this, Jesus said, ‘It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: I desire mercy, not sacrifice. For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.’”

In these verses He understands our struggles and heals our wounds. He makes us strong and holds us up when we are weak. He has overcome the world and knows that even though we will have troubles come our way, we have a bigger Father who has conquered the grave. He is ready to restore our hearts and transform our lives. It is okay to be broken and come to him in pieces. Jesus meets us in our pain and turns our scars into stories of hope.

He gives us countless examples of the Father He is to us but also many examples of the earthly Father a child needs. The Bible is written like a map for everyday life. Have a question on parenting, anger, forgiveness, discipline? It is in there.

Proverbs 22:6

“Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.”

Matthew 7:11

“If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!”

Psalm 103:13

“As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him.”

Ephesians 6:4

“Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.”

Colossians 3:21

“Fathers, do not exasperate your children, so that they will not lose heart.”

Even if you did not have a father growing up, or you had one, but he wasn’t the best role model or any kind of role model for that matter. When you accept Jesus into your heart and you become a part of God’s family, you receive an adoption. God says, “Child, you are mine, you are forgiven, you are worth it, you are wanted, you are beautiful, you are valued, you are precious. Nothing can stand in the way of my love for you. My love will go to the ends of the earth and then it will continue because it is limitless.”

The same God that died and rose again, for you and me. The same God that delivered Isreal from Egypt. The same God who protected Daniel in the Lion’s Den. The same God who gave guidance and a map on building an ark and tabernacle. The same God who has healed time and time again. The same God who comes with wrath and vengeance in Revelations and has eyes like a flame of fire. HE WANTS YOU! He chose you. He has purpose for YOU. In Him, you have an identity.

God is a Father who will meet us in our joy, pain, brokenness, doubt, and anger. One who will show us grace, mercy and forgiveness no matter the path we have taken. One who will embrace us like the prodigal son (Luke 15). One who shows compassion, empathy, and undivided attention. A Father who disciplines and protects. A Father who lifts us up in times of need and gives us provision. He is a Father of understanding. This is a lifetime journey with a good Father.

Thank you to all the fathers out there who are leading their households in model of the Lord. Thank you to all the fathers who have stepped up to the plate. Thank you to all the mothers who have had to take the role of both mother and father. Thank you to all the men who have been father figures to boys and girls who needed them. Thank you to all the fathers that have loved and lost. Thank you to all the grandpas, uncles and friends. And most of all thank you to my heavenly Father. Happy Father’s Day.