Tuesday, August 4, 2009

my day off


My husband and I went out to eat tonight and witnessed a horrible display of 'fatherhood'. No lie, this guy had the thickest New York accent I've ever heard and I thought I was watching a live version of the Godfather!

He bossed everyone in the restaurant around and as the waitress walked over to another table I saw her roll her eyes at this guy.

He continued loudly dominating all that was going on in the restaurant asking every employee that passed by to help him and his large family in some way - barking out orders to everyone. His actual waitress finally told him, that's MY job not theirs, I was afraid for her, but he didn't bite her head off or anything.

As time went on I heard him begin to tell his family (mostly young boys) how he had experienced terrible service everywhere from Starbucks to every establishment he had visited lately. Demanding as he went from place to place to speak to the managers. I could just see the trail of trampled bodies he left behind, possibly even causing kids to lose their jobs! He described in detail what he said to each manager, "Well I told him exactly what he should do with his inefficient employees!" I watched his sons taking it all in.

This was their example. How sad. I can only imagine how each of them will someday treat the people around them. We are all taught by someone. By family if we are blessed, by friends, by co-workers, by what we watch and read, it's our choice who the voices are that we allow to affect our lives. But this family had a huge problem, no proper fatherly example! Only a loud, probably insecure father that possibly had the same kind of father example in his life. And so it continues.

You know, no matter what kind of father God created just for you, or chose to withhold from you - in some cases to protect you - you must look past them toward a perfect heavenly father. Your earthly father, or lack of, is no excuse not to live as you should. But can serve as the perfect reason to seek the fatherhood that only God can provide.

I have several relatives right now that won't speak to their parents. I would be furious as well for some of the decisions the parents have made. But, it's wrong to hold grudges, it's wrong to treat them disrespectfully even if they seem to deserve it. And when the day comes that God takes my relatives parents home, my cousin is going to deeply regret the lost time. Even if that time was sometimes completely one sided. We are never responsible for people's reactions to our vulnerability or kindnesses. We are only responsible to live as Christ did, and this includes Christ like responses to people that we don't think deserve them. I encourage you today to make right any grudges or disappointments you may have.

Even for those of you who may have father's who are not good examples, such as the man we watched tonight, please do not let that keep you bitter or away from the one great true father, our God!

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