Date: 6/10/2008
<br>Author: Devin Pickard
<br>Title: Where are you?
<br><br>We are in the midst of a very serious crisis here in America.  The situation I speak of has nothing to do with gas prices, weather-related disasters, or the fact that you may now have to think twice before eating that tomato.  No, the crisis I am referring to is the “Daddy Crisis”.  We are told that “father absence” currently affects over 27 million children in the United States.  According to researchers, the fatherless home is linked to higher rates of poverty, failure in school, teen-pregnancy, substance abuse, violent crime, depression, and ultimately a loss of hope.  That being said....let's give credit where credit is due.  Many of these homes have wonderful mothers who are doing the very best they can.  These women single-handedly try to rear their children by being both mom and dad while often times having to hold down more than one job.  Though these ladies may do a tremendous job under the circumstances, I think most would agree that nothing can replace having a loving dad residing at the same address.  <br><br>Paul wrote in Ephesians 6:1-4, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.  Honor thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.  And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.”  As I ponder this verse, I am satisfied that we fathers can provoke our children just as much by our absence in their lives as we can by being in their presence.  The absence of a daddy in the home can provoke a number of different negative results as seen above.  Let's not always assume that all absentee fathers are the ones who have physically deserted their families.  There are a number of different dads who still reside at home and get their mail there....but that is about as far as it goes.  We know who we are....we leave really early most days and get home really late.  If we do find a spare minute here or there it is spent on something that we want to do with no concern for the wishes or feelings of those around us.  And....even if we are present in body, we are often absent in mind.  We are too busy thinking about work or other pressing matters in our so called busy lives to even notice that  our families desperately want our attention and admiration.  We then turn around a time or two and our babies aren't babies anymore.  All of a sudden we realize that it wasn't Father Time who stole precious moments away from us....it was our own neglect.<br><br>“Fatherhood isn't brain surgery.  I say this in defiance of the new conventional wisdom that being a father is breathtakingly difficult, that it creates tough dilemmas, and that fathers need a strategy for carrying out their duties.  I don't think so.  Most men I know have an instinct for fatherhood that is triggered the day their first child was born.  They instantly recognized the number one requirement of fatherhood:  to be there.” (borrowed) <br><br>To my fellow fathers I say....let us redeem the time while we still have it to redeem and raise our kids while we still have them to raise.  The day will come when there will be no more time to have and no more raising to do.  Let's not look in the rear view mirror with regret.  By the way Poppie....if Bart ever said that I did it....he lied.  Happy Fathers Day to all.<br><br>   <br>Go the extra mile - Devin    <br><br><br><br>