June has arrived and with it graduations, open house invites, the first day of summer, the smell of freshly cut grass and the glorious glow and warmth of the sun. 

We also acknowledge our fathers in June. These men bask in a day set aside to honor them. We offer gifts that are sure to delight and support their interests, from fishing rods and sports apparel to golf passes, books, and movie certificates. We painstakingly select a Hallmark card that pays tribute to a man worthy of poetry.

But what about children without a father to celebrate?

Perhaps you’ve never known the warmth and security that a loving father provides. Maybe he was absent due to forces outside of his control. A messy divorce. An unfair custody arrangement. Even military service. Whatever the reason, you weren’t afforded time with him, time necessary for developing a strong bond.

Maybe your father refused to step up to the plate and fulfill his God-given role. Fathers like this don’t establish healthy boundaries. They lose themselves in their work, putting career above family. Hobbies, volunteering on committees, and even church involvement overtake their lives and create relationship roadblocks. Their identity and affirmation are tied to everything but their children.

Maybe your father was abusive. These men take God’s most precious gift, not to mention their legacy, and crush their children’s spirits through cruel and callous treatment. They shatter the very hearts they’ve been entrusted to guard and nurture, and, in doing so, destroy their children’s budding trust.

Maybe your father was a deadbeat dad. Even though they become fathers through biology, these dads want no part of parenthood. They shy away from the huge responsibilities and pressures this job entails. These dads are too short-sighted to realize that while the work of raising a child is daunting, it’s also the most thrilling and rewarding mission. By being unwilling to die to their own selfishness and make the sacrifices necessary of a parent, they miss out on a lifetime of joy.

Or maybe your father has passed away, and you are just left with memories, pictures and stories. This is my situation. I was blessed with a wonderful Daddy. He’s gone home to be with Jesus, so I’ve celebrated six Father’s Days without him. I miss him terribly, but I cling to all the memories of the beautiful years we had together. I consider myself abundantly blessed to have had a loving father, and I don’t take it for granted.  I’m still praising God for my Daddy. His love for me reaches beyond the grave and continues to make a tremendous impact on my life.

When we find ourselves in any of these scenarios, how can we handle the painful reminder every Father's Day of what we don’t have? Whether our father has passed away, we are estranged or we never had one to begin with, what will sustain us and ease the profound ache in our hearts? What, or more specifically who, can fill that void?

God, our Heavenly Father! God is always the answer to our every need. His love is perfect, enduring and unconditional. He is our Comfort, Hope, Peace, Joy, Redeemer, and Rock. He will never leave us or let us down.

With this in mind, we can celebrate our Kingdom Dad this Father’s Day and say a prayer of thanksgiving for our good and gracious Heavenly Father. He is – and always will be - a father to the fatherless (Psalm 68:5).

Those who carry a Father wound can find healing in the Lord and regain fullness of joy, but only after they grieve for the father they dreamed of, but never had. If your father was or is not someone to be celebrated, ask God to help you forgive and make amends. And if you have a loving earthly father, cherish him. Take it from me:  you won’t always have that luxury.