天賜父愛 (1)
作者 李鏡開
父親節是世界上最有意義的節日之一。那一天，我們會告訴自己的父親，他對於我們來說是多麼重要，成為他的孩子又是多麼開心。儘管你不需要一個特定的場合來傳達這些信息，但父親節將會把一切變得更特別。
一個英國的調查數據顯示，接近 75% 的父親認為，與家人一起共度父親節才是最理想的。只有 10% 的父親認為，他們最想要的是獨處。
儘管大多數男人覺得，當今的父親在陪伴孩子方面承受了巨大的壓力。父親常常感覺自己不合格。那麼，在如何與孩子建立起一個良好的關係這一問題上，父親們又能做些什麼呢？
花時間去成為一個父親
當我的孩子們年幼時，有一次我們在社區活動中心裏面打乒乓球。我無意中聽到我兒子的一個朋友說："你好幸運。你的爸爸可以陪你打乒乓球，我的爸爸不會陪我作任何事。"聽到這些話以後，我心裡面有一種莫名的驕傲參雜著傷感。我感覺到驕傲，因為我的兒子可以聽到他的同伴表揚他的父親；但同時我又心疼那個渴望父親陪伴的男孩。
所以身為父親的你，不妨就從這個夏天開始，嘗試花更多的時間與你的孩子們一起。當他們想要親近你的時候，停下手中的工作與他們一起玩耍，帶他們領略神所創造的美好自然。以弗所書6:4 提醒我們:「你們作父親的，不要惹兒女的氣，只要照著主的教訓和警戒，養育他們。」我相信所有的基督徒父親們都想給他們的孩子一個正確的生活方向。父親們以他們自己的方式和定律引導孩子們。父親們自己的定律，我認為主要突出在教導和改正。當孩子們做錯事和違背父親的時候，我們需要給予教導和改正。但是，我們需要記住，太過嚴厲和苛刻會引起孩子情緒上的波動。
父親需要為孩子禱告
基督徒父親需要為他們的孩子禱告。當我們禱告的時候，我們切切地向天父尋求幫助，求他引導我們，加添信心和能力給我們，使我們學會怎樣教導、保護自己的孩子。所有人類的父親在能力上都是有限的，唯有我們的天父是無所不能的。
所以加強父親為孩子禱告是尤為重要的，2014 年 2 月 4 日 斯科特•威廉姆斯 是這樣評論了 "一個父親的禱告"：「道格拉斯•麥克亞瑟，美國五星上將，1942 年 6 月被公認為那一年的全國最佳父親。這個榮譽是在他已經搬去菲律賓，領導美國打響太平洋戰役的三個月之後才頒發給他的。他在接受頒獎時，發自內心地為自己的兒子禱告，這個禱告是非常令人感動的。」
就是在這戰爭的前期，麥克亞瑟在 "一個父親的禱告" 中說明了在教導孩子方面他將始終倚靠天父：
主啊！懇求你教導我的兒子，
使他在軟弱時，能夠堅強不屈；
在懼怕時能夠勇敢自持，
在誠實的失敗中，毫不氣餒；在光明的勝利中，仍能保持謙遜溫和。
懇求塑造我的兒子，
不至空有幻想而缺乏行動；
引導他認識你，同時又知道，
認識自己乃是真知識的基石。
主啊！我祈求你，
不要使他走上安逸、舒適之徒，
求你將他置於困難、艱難和挑戰的磨練中，
求你引領他，使他學習在風暴中挺身站立，
並學會憐卹那些在重壓之下失敗跌倒的人。
主啊！求你塑造我的兒子，
求你讓他有一顆純潔的心，
並有遠大的目標；
使他在能指揮別人之前，
先懂得駕馭自己；
當邁入未來之際，永不忘記過去的教訓。
主啊！在他有了這些美德之後，
我還要祈求你賜給他充分的幽默感，
以免他過於嚴肅、苛求自己。
求你賜給他謙卑的心，
使他永遠記得，
真正的偉大是單純，
真正的智慧是坦率，
真正的力量是溫和。
然後作為父親的我，
才敢輕輕的說：「我這一生總算沒有白白活著」，
阿們！
你為孩子們的禱告是什麼？也許我們還沒有做到像麥克亞瑟上將那樣禱告，但是當我們走完人生的旅程時，希望我們都會心裏默想 "我沒有虛度"。
父親關心孩子的未來
我們的天父是體恤我們未來的。上帝已經創世之前就完成了所有的計劃。上帝差遣他的獨生子，使我們能效仿他的榜樣。約翰福音14：6 耶穌基督提醒我們:「我就是道路、真理、生命，若不藉著我，沒有人能到父那裡去。」當我們接受耶穌基督的恩典和救贖，我們就成為了神的兒女。
我們要提醒我們自己，我們的日子已經屈指可數了。我們都是在這生命旅程中奔走天路的客旅。如果我們順服上帝所指引的道路，有一天我們會結束人生的旅程並到達天路的起點。上帝在天堂為他的孩子們準備了一切。他想要我們在世的日子能夠數算他的恩典，榮耀高舉他的名。（待續）
Fatherhood is Under Strain (Part I)
Written by Ernie Lee
Father's Day is one of the most meaningful holidays in the world. It represents the day when we tell our father how much he means to us and how happy we are, to have him in our life. Though you don't need a special occasion to convey all this to him, by saying it on Father's Day can make him feel special.
A survey in the U.K. revealed that nearly 75% of fathers said that spending time with their family would be the ideal Father's Day.Only 10% of fathers said their ideal Father's Day would be to have time to themselves.
Although majority of men believe that fathers today are under tremendous strain. Fathers feel they fall short. What can fathers do? Here are several suggestions:
Take the Time to be a Father.
When my children were young, we were playing ping pong at a community centre. I overheard a friend of my son spoke these words: "You're lucky. Your dad will play ping pong with you. I can't get my dad to do anything with me." I listened to that comment with a strange blend of pride and sadness. On one hand, it felt good to know that my son was hearing what a great dad he has. However, my heart also ached for that boy who longed to spend some time with his father.
This summer, take time to be with your children. When they want to play with you----stop and play with them. Take time to look at the beauty of summer and point out God's creation to them. Ephesians 6:4 reminded us: "Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord." I believe all Christian fathers want to give their children direction for living. We as fathers give our children direction by our way of discipline. By discipline, I mean instruction and correction. When our children have disobeyed us we need to discipline them. But, we need to remember not to be too harsh so as to provoke by exasperating them.
Fathers Need to Pray for their Children.
Christian fathers need to pray for their children. When we pray for our children, we are asking God to help, to guide and protect beyond our abilities to do so. All human fathers have limits, but our Heavenly Father is omnipotent and omnipresent. To reinforce the importance of a father's prayer for their children, let me quote from the comments on "A Father's Prayer" by Scott Williams, February 4, 2014.
In June, 1942, the U.S. five-star General Douglas Mac Arthur was named National Father of the Year. The honour came just three months after he moved his family to the Philippines to lead the U.S. Pacific campaign of World War II. His statement in receiving the award was ended by a heartfelt prayer for his son.
In the early days of war, MacArthur acknowledged his dependence on a Heavenly Father when he composed "A Father's Prayer":
"Build me a son, oh Lord, who will be strong enough to know when he is weak, and brave enough to face himself when he is afraid; one who will be proud and unbending in honest defeat, and humble and gentle in victory.
"Build me a son whose wishbone will not be where his back bone should be; a son who will know Thee, and to know himself is the foundation stone of knowledge.
"Lead him, I pray, not in the path of ease and comfort, but under the stress and spur of difficulties and challenges. Here let him learn to stand up to the storm; here let him learn compassion for those who fail.
"Build me a son whose heart will be clear, whose goal will be high; a son who will master himself before he seeks to master other men; one who will learn to laugh, yet never forget to weep; one who will reach into the future, yet never forget the past.
"And after all these things are his, add, I pray, enough of a sense of humor so that he may always be serious, and yet never take him-self too seriously.
"Give him humility, so that he may always remember the simplicity of true greatness, the open mind of true wisdom, the meekness of true strength.
"Then I, his father, will dare to whisper: I have not live in vain."
What is your prayer for your children? You'll probably never achieve the level of accomplishment such as General Douglas MacArthur, but when you come to the end of this earthly journey, what will make you whisper "I have not lived in vain"?
Fathers are Concerned for their Children's Future.
Our Heavenly Father is concerned for our future. God wants to have destiny that is completed when we get to heaven. God sent his only begotten Son so that we might learn from his example. Jesus reminded us of this fact in John 14:6 when He said: "I am the way, the truth and the life and no one comes to the Father except through me." When we accept the grace and salvation of Jesus Christ, then we become God's adopted sons and daughters.
We need to keep in mind that our days are limited. We are all pilgrims in this journey of life. If we let God have his way, then one day we reach the end of our earthly journey and reach our heavenly destination.
God has a place in heaven for all of His children. God wants us to make our days count for his glory during the journey. (To be continued)