Dr. Norm Wakefield on...The Joyful Dad
FOUR MEN, FOUR STORIES
"What better feeling could a son have than to know his father is pleased with him?" —Cal Thomas
Like
it or not, you make a difference in the lives of your children. Your
actions today leave an indelible mark. Consider Liam Gallagher.7
Liam is
the lead singer for the British rock group Oasis. As a child Liam
experienced physical and verbal abuse from his father. At twenty-four
years of age, he recalled that his most vivid memory of his father was of
watching helplessly as the man hit Liam’s mother on the head with a
hammer.
How did
that image affect the child? “I stopped believing in God because of what
happened to me mam,” he said in his thick British accent. Now Liam spreads
a godless, fatherless message to millions through the music of his band.
Compare
Liam Gallagher to Cal Thomas. Cal is a nationally syndicated columnist and
a fervent, vocal Christian. Years after Cal’s father died, he paused to
reflect on the influence of his dad.
"What he
did for a living was not the most important thing in my life, because it
did not seem to be the most important thing in his. I do remember the
Lionel train set he bought me one Christmas. I still have it and would not
sell it at any price. I will never forget the hours he spent with me
setting it up and watching the joy on my face as it raced around the
track. I remember the backyard games of catch and the movies he took me to
on Saturdays, back when movies were worth seeing. None of the things I
remember about my father had anything at all to do with his lifestyle or
whom he knew or the places he had been or the style of the clothes he
wore. I just knew that he was always there.
Thomas
carries a picture of his father in his briefcase, a constant reminder of
the joy his father brought to childhood. In memory of his father, Liam
Gallagher carries bitterness and resentment. “If he died tomorrow I
wouldn’t go to his funeral,” says Liam.
In 1997
Lawrence Bridge unexpectedly died. He was only fifty-four. He was a
missions pastor at a local church, a busy man with an important career.
But when his family wrote his obituary for the local newspaper, they chose
to remember him this way: “[Larry’s] hobbies included Bible study,
spending time with his children, and leading his family in a relationship
with the Lord.”
Three men.
Three stories. Three memories.
Your story
is the fourth. Make your actions today count.
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Dr.
Norm Wakefield is a popular author, speaker, seminary professor, and
joyful dad to five happy, adult children. A few of his sought-after books
are Legacy of Joy (written with his son-in-law), Men are from
Israel, Women are from Moab (written with his daughter), and The
Dad Difference (written with Josh McDowell).
