It's Complicated - A Facebook Status for Father's Day

As I browsed through Facebook status updates today, Father's Day, I came across a friend's status that I think a lot of us can relate to on this day.  It said, "If Father's Day had to have a Facebook relationship status, mine would definitely be "it's complicated"."

I laughed to myself because, for me, it was a statement that could have been my status for the day.  It could be better, it has been worse...it's just complicated.  What would your status be? Single - you've never had an active father in your life? Divorced - there once was relationship, but now it's severed? In a relationship - things with your dad are good and as they should be?

I think far too many fall in one of the categories where the relationship isn't good, or at least as good as it should be.  When I was younger, Father's Day was a day that I really struggled with.  I would find myself envious of what other people had with their fathers.  I even resented the day.  As I've grown older, and hopefully a little wiser, I've come to realize that good, bad or ugly, my relationship and my experiences with my father have shaped me.  Some of those "shapes" haven't always been too pretty.  And I've had to learn my own lessons from them.

But my Father allows me to take those good, bad & ugly experiences and grow from them.  Learn from them.  Teach from them.  My Father takes what the enemy would love to have used to destroy me, to make me a better mother, a better wife, a better friend.  My Father reminds me that He will never leave or forsake me.  My Father will never let me down.

If you are one of those that is "in a relationship" with your earthly father, count your blessings.  If you are one, like me, who has another "status" with your earthly Father, rest assured, your Heavenly Father seeks to be all of the things and more that you lack in an earthly father.  He seeks to be a Father to the orphaned.  And when he promises to never leave, never cause you pain, never abandon you, He means it.

Psalm 68:5 - Father of orphans, champion of widows, is God in his holy house.