An Ode to Fatherhood

You know, I don’t think dads need a day.
I’m not saying we shouldn’t honor them—we should.
But dads don’t need a day.

The long hours. The hard grind.
We don’t do that for a pat on the back.

Sure, a new wallet, a new tie, a crayon-scribbled card—that’s nice.
But we’d get by just fine without them.
Because there’s a greater gift we’re after.

Legacy.

Legacy is the lasting echo of our labor.
It’s what reaches into the future, long after our own life ends.

All good men want a godly legacy.
Not just a name engraved in the town square—
But ten fingers, ten toes,
Running full speed toward you ten seconds after you pull in the driveway,
Shouting, “Daddy’s home!”

That’s the reward.
Those little people—
Little men, little women—
Born from the love you share with your wife.
That’s what drives us.

Every day with children is Father’s Day.

The first steps.
The first time they say “Jesus.”
The first perfect spiral.
The first dance.
The first time they hold their own child in their hands.

Those are the gifts.

The work is the reward.

That’s why we grind.
That’s why we go out for Tylenol at 2 a.m.
That’s why we pick up a second job.
That’s why we read bedtime stories when we’re falling asleep ourselves.
That’s why we discipline, and say, “No—you may not disrespect your mother.”

Because they are the legacy.

They carry the best of us forward.
And at the core, our hope is that they carry with them a love for God the Father.

After all the work—
Fatherhood is meant to reflect His fatherhood.

God provides, so we provide.
God protects, so we protect.
God presides, so we preside.

We’ve been given a mission:
To bring Him into the world.
And one of the best ways we do that?
We raise children in the fear and admonition of the Lord.

Children who raise children
Who raise children
Who love Jesus.

That’s the legacy.

If one day, our son tells our grandson:
“Grandpa was a hard-working man who loved Jesus…”
It would be worth it.

Every long day.
Every short night.
Every drop of blood, sweat, and tears.
Not one of them would go to waste.

So brothers—Happy Father’s Day.
I hope you enjoy today.
And tomorrow.
And the day after.
As you raise up children for His glory.

It is a good work you do, and your labor isn’t in vain.
God bless.