By Kelly Carr

We require a lot out of you, dads:

•  We want you to be strong enough to carry our family but tender with our fragile emotions.

•  We want you to help provide but have time to be around.

•  We want you to know how to fix things when we ask but not tell us what to do when we haven’t asked.

•  We want you to be funny but not embarrass us in public.

Dads and those with dad-like influence on young people, you make a difference. Study after study has proven this fact. They have all resulted in the same findings: “Children with involved, loving fathers are significantly more likely to do well in school, have healthy self-esteem, and exhibit empathy and pro-social behavior” (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services).

Modern studies support what we know the Bible has already declared to be true: dads are important. God created parenthood and encourages us in Scripture to honor our fathers and listen to them. Fatherhood is such an honored role that the term Father is used to describe God around 260 times in his Word. This depiction of him as Father demonstrates his love, his concern, his protective care for us.

When you see a child and a loving father together, you can see all the statistics and verses depicted in living color. Whether that child is 8, 18, or 58—the significant impact of a loving dad shows through in demeanor, in character, in posture of both father and child. Smiles and confidence and peace exude.

Gentlemen—we honor you today. We rely upon you for a lot, and we thank you for going above and beyond.