A Father's Day Gift From Dad

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Bernard_Boulton]Bernard Boulton
My wife Vantoria had a great idea that we incorporated at our church for Children's Day. After worship was concluded the children and parents gathered in the fellowship wing to read letters that was written by parents to their children. It was a very moving experience as some parents cried as they read their words to their children. I was one of the parents who wrote a letter along with my wife Vantoria. This very personal and meaningful exercise took me down memory lane as I wrote to my son. I remembered the day that Vantoria told me that she was expecting. I immediately got on the phone and called my Mother first and then my Mother in law. I remembered the many times when I laid my hand on my wife's abdomen to pray for our unborn child. I remembered the trips to the Doctor and the first sonogram. I remembered the morning that Vantoria's labor began and the eventual birth of our son Bernard Quincy Boulton, who was born six days after Father Day that year. I remember Quincy growing through the stages of childhood. The first time that he walked, his first immunization shot, his first day at school. The first time he led a song in the church choir.
And I remembered the fears of being a Father. The financial struggles of working temp jobs with no security and very little income creating many fear for me the first year of his life. I remembered the times I felt so inadequate in providing for my son. I remembered the times when I wondered was I good enough to be a Father, did I have what it took to raise this boy to manhood? Was I successful enough to give him a consistent example of what it meant to be a man and a father? I remembered the pressure and the pain of my own unrealized expectations. Vantoria had to read my letter to Quincy because my voice was hoarse from preaching that afternoon under the strain of allergies. As I listened to the words that I had written the day before I was moved to tears. I thanked God for my wife's great idea that gave me an opportunity to give this gift to my son.
And so I'm sharing this idea because I'm not one to sit on a great idea. I was inspired to share this gift with every Father that would read these words this weekend and beyond this weekend. And I know that this is your weekend to be celebrated and appreciated. This is your weekend for fun, fellowship and gifts. But I just thought I would encourage you to give a gift to your child or children. As a Father you have already given so much. You gave your child life and security. You have given them values and faith. I just wanted to give you an idea to give them your words. Words that they will read long after Father's Day is over for this year. Words that they will cherish for the rest of their lives. Happy Father's Day and remember it is a blessing to give as well as receive.
Pastor Bernard Boulton lives and pastors in South Virginia. He is the author of DO YOU WANNA BE MADE WHOLE? a novel written from a man's perspective on how a man lives, makes mistakes and finds life again. He is also the author of the short story JAKE AND ERIC in the anthology HOME AGAIN. Both books can be found at his website, [http://WWW.BERNARDBOULTON.COM]http://WWW.BERNARDBOULTON.COM. Bernard will be releasing his first inspirational non fiction book this summer and he is currently writing the sequel to DO YOU WANNA BE MADE WHOLE?
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?A-Fathers-Day-Gift-From-Dad&id=6359727] A Father's Day Gift From Dad