Fatherhood

A really cool thought hit me about fatherhood a couple days ago, spurred on by a U2 song.

Before I get to it, I have learned that fatherhood is an amazing gift from God. He uses it to hold a mirror to the condition of the soul (over and over and over in my case it seems) to show areas for growth and to remind us of the joy He feels as our heavenly Father.

Before I got married, I thought I was a pretty well-adjusted guy who was fairly courteous.

Then, through marriage, God showed me how selfish I was. About three years later when our first child was born, God showed me I had more work to do on the selfishness area. I’m still learning from both marriage and fatherhood to die to self. And in all honesty – not always doing the best at it.

Here’s the thing that hit me the other day: as we grow older, most of us begin to ‘see’ our parents in the way we act (guys in particular, but I think women deal with this as well).

Bono has often said that the song “Sometimes You Can’t Make it On Your Own” was written for his father who had recently passed away. The chorus includes these words:

“And it's you when I look in the mirror
And it's you when I don't pick up the phone”

I’m finding this to be so true.

I’m finding that I sometimes react to situations like I observed my parents did. I’ll catch myself and think, “whoa, that sounded just like my dad.”

Other times it’s so subtle that it literally gives me shivers.

I’ll be playing with my kids in the living room and catch my reflection in our mirror and my expression, or the way I smile will instantly remind me of my dad. Something about how my lips curve; the way my chin looks…

And so, as I was humming along to Bono, it struck me the other day:
“I want to look more like my heavenly Father as I get older.”

I want to react to situations like my heavenly Dad does – with His heart. To smile as He does over the things that bring Him joy. To be upset at the injustices that break His heart.

To be more Christ-like.

“... Jesus said to them, ‘My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working.’ For this reason the Jews tried all the harder to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.
Jesus gave them this answer: ‘I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does.’” (John 516-20a)

“And it's you when I look in the mirror…”

Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own