My son David is a big rugby fan. More specifically, he is a huge New Zealand All-Blacks fan. He has followed in the footsteps of his grandpa who has passed on his love for this great game and this legendary team.
David watches the All-Blacks games online and has demonstrated an amazing capacity to acquire an overwhelming amount of knowledge about the players, the team and the league. He has succeeded in infusing me with an interest in and admiration for the legendary All-Blacks.
He has also developed a bucket list item around the All-Blacks: he wants to one day see them play live, and preferably at Twickenham Stadium in England. Twickenham is arguably the most storied rugby stadium in the world, and home to the English team.
David is currently doing a university semester in Spain at Granada University and discovered that the All-Blacks would be touring Europe and playing the English at Twickenham when he would be in Spain. He immediately went about trying to figure out how he could get to the game. He discovered that tickets online were $750 – way outside his student budget.
I contacted a few people I thought might be able to help us get hold of a ticket, but all my efforts were unsuccessful. David was trying to figure out any means possible to attend the game, but nothing seemed to be working out.
David had one last connection that seemed weakly promising. David’s girl-friend worked in the summer with a big rugby fan whose brother lived in England and was part of rugby culture there. As the time drew closer for the game, and David had yet to secure a ticket, he upped his determination and contacted this distant connection to see if he could somehow secure a ticket.
During this entire process I found myself praying that God, my Heavenly Father, would make a way for David. That somehow God would come through in a way that showed David how much He loves and delights in him. “Father, would you father David well.”
Have you ever found yourself wondering if God will father your children the way you want Him to? Will He be as good a father as you have tried to be?
I know that sounds terrible. I am embarrassed to write it, but I have found myself thinking this way. And, I know other men who have shared the same thoughts with me. I know I am not alone in this. Why is it we can grow to trust the Lord to Father us, but it seems like a whole different story when we have to trust Him to father our children?
So what happened with David’s attempts to get to the All-Blacks game? How did God father him in regard to this desire in David’s heart? Well, thankfully David trusted our Father and His great goodness and good greatness, and he worked diligently to participate with God in this casual adventure.
And wouldn’t you know it? That distant connection through his girl-friend came through. That guy’s brother in England was able to come up with a ticket for David. David took the bus from Granada to Madrid. He flew from Madrid to London. He took trains and buses through London to rendezvous with the ticket holder and then off to Twickenham for the game.
He said it was the best weekend of his life. When he walked into Twickenham Stadium he was moved to tears. He was overwhelmed by his Father’s great goodness, and His good greatness. When David sent me an email describing his revel in the weekend, along with a photo of him in the stands with a smile the width of the Grand Canyon, I was so relieved.
It was looking at my relief that I realized I hadn’t really trusted in my Father to father my son. I felt a little ashamed. “Father, forgive me for not trusting you to father my son well…”
Men, we can trust God to Father us well. And, we can trust our Father to father our children well. He loves and delights in them more than we do. Let’s move our faith to the next level and choose to trust God to Father our children well.
Matthew 7:11
“If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!”
James 1:17
“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”