Super Dad Powers
Let’s face it – having (procreating, not the birthing process) children is easy, but being a father is tough. I’ve only been a daddy for almost 4 years, but in that amount of time, I’ve found it way more difficult to be a father to the 2 precious girls God gave me in 2006 and 2009 than I ever could have imagined. Don’t misunderstand me – it’s been a blessed and rewarding journey that is far from over, but it has been a challenging road as well.
Isn’t it funny how the most meaningful things in this life are those in which we have the most invested? Children make us laugh and then cry in the next breath. They amaze us with wit and charm, only to be deceitful and cunning moments later. Fathers have an amazing, God-given list of responsibilities to their Creator, wife, and family, and God gives fathers grace and in many cases, an extraordinary set of super powers to guide, protect, and teach their families along the way.
So on this Father’s Day 2010, I’ve been reflecting on some of the amazing powers displayed in my own father, Jimmy Barlow, in the years that I lived at home. I don’t know if you were as blessed as I to have such a loving, compassionate, and giving father, but maybe you can relate to some of these…
1. Car Packing – Dads have the amazing ability to take 47 suitcases, pack them into a minivan, and still have room for 5 family members and 2 dogs. I’ve seen it happen many a time! The spacial skills of my father were simply a marvelous sight to behold. It always seemed that he could squeeze 1 more bag into that seemingly useless space in or on top of our Dodge Caravan when everyone else had given up and informed the owner of said bag of the necessity of leaving it behind. It was a 3-D puzzle of sorts – one that I believe he relished in completing.
2. Car Maintenance – As I got into my teenage years and began to learn to drive, I quickly became aware of another super power possessed by my father; the ability to maintain all of our cars. Now my Dad was no mechanic, but he strongly believed (and still does to this day) that cars perform better for longer when they’re properly maintained – tire pressure, tire rotation, changing a tire, oil/filter changes, belt inspection and replacement, brake upkeep, tags and permits, etc. He not only knew how change/fix all of these things, he taught me how to do it, and he seemingly kept it all straight from memory. Maybe he had ways of knowing that I could never detect, but every time my red 1994 Mazda Protege was due for an oil change, he knew it and approached me with it, most times before I noticed it.
3. Athletic Supporter – (Get your mind out of the gutter!) I don’t know that my dad ever gave $1.00 to any local athletic club in my small hometown of Leonard, TX, but there was never a bigger fan of mine in the stands at any baseball or basketball game than my Dad. Every baseball season, we bought 2 team hats – 1 for me to wear on the field, and 1 for Dad to wear everywhere else. As a Senior in high school when I was 3rd team on our varsity basketball team (no one confused me for Pistol Pete), Dad still made it to most of my games, as if he hoped I would play. When I pitched in baseball, he never shied away from shouting embarrassing childhood nicknames to me as a means of encouragement while I was on the mound. Sometimes it interrupted me to the point where I had to step off the mound for a moment and hear my teammates echo “Andy Pandy”, but it was his way of supporting his son. What was I gonna do – ask him to stop?
4. Free Giver – I don’t recall many times my Dad refusing me anything. He was, and still is, by nature a giver. He enjoys giving gifts – money, time, food, etc. I am my Father’s son, but even I recognize in myself that I am not as gracious in giving things away as my Dad was. Money to a homeless guy? No problem. Taking time to play catch with me in the front yard? Always. What he had he would quickly and freely give to those around him who were in need of it.
5. Omnipresence – It seemed almost every time I was about to take a mis-step, my Dad was right around the corner – sometimes waiting, sometimes warning. He wasn’t afraid to allow me to fail, which I thank him for, but in those times, he was still present and teaching. Many times I would get into trouble at a friend’s house and amazingly, Dad would know about it before I arrived at home! He was everywhere and was networked in ways I could only imagine!
Like I said in earlier, I can’t possibly know about the relationship you have (or had) with your earthly father. I recognize that I am extremely blessed in this area, and in today’s culture, my relationship with my Dad is more the exception than the rule. But I still believe it easy to see that dads have an amazing set of tools – maybe both literally and figuratively speaking – at their disposal. Thank you, Dad (Jimmy Barlow), for using your super dad powers on me and for your presence – past, present, and future – in my life.
Have you noticed an amazing super power that your dad has? What is it? Leave a comment!
