THOUGHTS FOR FATHER’S DAY – 2026

IT IS ALMOST FATHER’S DAY

Father’s Day 2026 is coming on Sunday.  As you might have suspected, I have a few thoughts for Father’s Day – 2026. These thoughts begin with an important question. Where would we all be without the amazing fathers who have guided us forward into a more abundant life? 

These dedicated fathers are the planters, the sewers, the ones who instill our sense of responsibility, of righteousness and courage.  When we try to walk higher than we have walked before, they encourage us.  If we fall or fail, they lift us back up and put our feet back on the pathway. 

When our courage leaves us, they show us how to be brave. Not only that, they speak with wise voices of experience and gently guide us. Our fathers teach us important things we need to know.  A good father’s love can always be trusted. We are forever grateful.

AN INTERESTING QUESTION

I was reading an article earlier which asked an interesting question.  The article displayed an artist’s rendering of some very ancient trees from Israel. Their branches were thick and narled, but the trees looked healthy and flourishing. This is the question: “What does it mean to you that trees planted by Jewish hands two thousand years ago are still producing fruit in the same hillside groves today, and what do you think that continuity says about the relationship between a people and its land?” Yes, this refers to Israel and how God looks after them. However, this picture of those old trees also began my thoughts for Father’s Day – 2026.

THE FRUITS OF FATHERHOOD

Of course this question put me in mind of the greatest Father of all, Our Great God, The King of The Universe.  If Father’s Day belongs to anyone, it is His.  He is like an ancient tree that never dies.  He only grows stronger as time goes by.

The awesome strength of those trees with the deep ancient roots still guides us today.  Those roots were created by God, the same One who gave us the gift of fathers. He instructs in ways we can comprehend and understand. God sends us life lessons using helpful stories from holy scriptures. Our Father even wrote these stories in the skies.  Whenever we look, whereever we look, He is teaching us. Everywhere we go, we see evidence of His great wisdom. His chesed love surrounds us. The wisest of fathers follow The Father of All. Our family has been blessed with such godly men. I am thankful.

These ancient trees are symbolic of Our Father’s everlasting love. I’ve come to believe our earthly fathers are like the the fruit from these old, old trees.  They are the examples God provided to us to show us the way.  The winds and the rains come and bring their troubles and disasters, but these ancient old trees stand firm.  They stand like all of the godly fathers of the earth. 

FATHERS ARE LIKE FRUITFUL TREES

Sunshine from heaven pours its strength into their roots and their annual offerings are always fruitful.  These fathers have become very fruitful too. Every year they lead us to have better lives. They have created a harvest of love. What our fathers have taught us about living out God’s ways of life are their best fruits. 

A godly father’s children are similar to a rich harvest. This is partly because their fathers have been faithful.  What more could we ask than an abundant harvest of love from a family with a strong and steady foundation?   Only that they remember God The Father and continue to pass on the family traditions.

A FATHER/CHILD RELATIONSHIP IS ABOUT CONTINUITY

The last part of the above mentioned question stood out in my mind. “What do you think that continuity says about the relationship between a people and its land?”  Instantly, I thought of godly fathers making their lands stronger by pouring their hearts and souls into every little detail of teaching their children about life. 

I think about how such men love their children. This is also reflected in the way treat their wives. The roles between husbands and wives are taken in by their children. This is how they first learn to love others. When marriages are healthy, children flourish.

TEACH A CHILD IN THE WAY IT SHOULD GO

While pondering this subject I consider the ways godly men teach their children to be responsible citizens. Part of the child’s training will be sure they know how to care for others. The perfect vision would be a land full of strong, protective fathers patiently and lovingly standing guard over their homes. Such responsible fathers provide food, shelter and discipline. That isn’t an easy task in today’s world. Their days are about the teaching of wisdom.

The mouths of these fathers speak good counsel and only when needed. Silence is a strength they use to their advantage. When they do speak, everyone listens. These men are sought for advice.  They are living examples like trees planted by the rivers of water. These are the things I am so thankful for today as we honor our fathers. 

LIVING EXAMPLES 

The ancient old trees in Israel have roots that reach deep. Deep reaching roots are symbolic of wisdom. I’m forever grateful that my own earthly father passed on fruit similar to these ancient trees of old. If I continue to pass on his wisdom, the roots of our family will grow stronger and stronger. That is what I hope to do. 

My own Father taught me about love, responsibility, honesty, integrity, caring for the elderly and caring for my neighbors.  Loving God was his greatest example to me.  His example taught me how to stand for what I believed.  

FAITHFUL TO GOD AND FAITHFUL TO COUNTRY

The love my father carried for his country was huge.  It spilled over into my own loyalties.  Even though the darkest of days may come to the doors of America’s future, I will stand in the hope of what my father’s generation desired for our nation.  They saw us as one nation under God.  That is still my hope and my desire for our people.  I am grateful to have this hope still living inside of me.  It is my prayer that my own children will continue to flourish and be fruitful in the land of “spacioius skies and amber waves of grain.”

I thank God I can sleep easy at night. My rest comes from the fact that my husband taught our children as well as my own Father taught me. Each new generation passes on these blessings. Every generation just improves upon the last.

FATHERS WITH A WORK ETHIC

My Dad was a self-made man who earned everything he owned by hard work using his own two hands.  That work ethic is another fruitful blessing he passed down to the next generation.  Hopefully, I have honored his memory by setting the same example for our children. My husband has also set a good example for them to follow. Now the adult children seem to be passing this life skill on to their children.

The deep roots of those ancient trees symbolize many generations of godly fathers.  These old trees stretch forth their branches and offer life and abundance to the growth which naturally comes after them. These magnificent trees are still healthy, even after 2,000 years of growth. Do you think it is because they lift their branches to heaven on a daily basis? I’m almost certain those old trees can pray. They have weathered the hard times and stand stronger for it.

LIKE TREES THAT LIFT THEIR ARMS TO PRAY

This is a lesson for all of us. As America celebrates its 250^th birthday, I pray our fathers will follow the patterns of those ancient trees of Isreal.  If every father in the nation stood in such a posture of prayer daily, we would soon overcome every obstacle. Hopefully, our nation will continue to produce fathers with roots of wisdom which are firmly planted and established for helping our children to grow.

Continuous prayer will keep our families healthy forever. A father’s established godly ways will last long after the father is gone. Such legacies will be reflected in the hearts of their children.  I feel sure our father’s contributions to our lives have helped to strengthen us. This steady strength passes new life to the generations of America’s future fathers.

THE GLORY OF FATHERHOOD

As you can tell from the photos, Father’s Day happens every day in our family. Nothing makes us happier than to gather all of our fathers together in one place for a celebration in their honor.

If you look closer you will see a photo of my very godly Father-in-Law. He was surely a wonderful blessing to our family. We often find ourselves quoting him. He was very knowledgable and had a heart of gold. I wish our grandchildren could have known him and his lovely wife.

Also, you will see photos here of my own Father. He was a wonderful man. I still miss him every day. I take comfort in knowning that both of my Father’s (the heavenly One and the earthly one) are together now in a place I cannot yet travel to.  My Heavenly Father holds the blessings of eternity open for my earthly Father.  One day I will join them.  Our hopes and wishes are united through time. 

I am confident the pattern will continue. Every ending is only a new beginning. Those whom I love will come after us. In the meantime, they will continue the growth. With the abundance of so many good fathers, there will be life, life and more life. Families with strong fathers are similar to those everlasting ancient trees that do not bend and break in the storms. Even when their branches do break, new branches can be easily grafted in.

WE MUST PRAY FOR ALL FATHERS

So many young men are new to fatherhood. This world isn’t an easy place to be raising children. Let’s pray for these new Dads. Perhaps there is nothing more beautiful than watching a brand new father hold his child in his arms for the first time.  This moment seems to totally change a man forever.  

Frank Pittman once said, “Fathering is not something perfect men do, but something that perfects the man.”   I’ve seen this miraculous phenomenon happen over-and-over again, but it always takes my breath away.  God certainly knew what He was doing when He gave us Fathers. Let’s make it our goal to pray daily for fathers of all ages. They hold the keys to the stability of our world. It is a huge responsibility.

HONORING AND CELEBRATING ALL FATHERS

So, here we are wishing a Happy Father’s Day to all of the fathers in our land.  May your special day be full of blessings!  I pray you enjoy the fruit God has blessed you with as your children gather happily around your table.  Truly this day must be one of the deepest pleasures for our Heavenly Father.  He surely smiles to see those He loves gathered together while sharing the abundance of the land He has provided. Let’s thank God for our Fathers today.

It must make God happy to see children remembering to honor their fathers and their mothers. Isn’t that what the commandment teaches? This is the commandment that contains the blessings for long life.  Perhaps that blessing ties in perfectly with all the other gifts our fathers have bestowed upon us.  Hopefully, we return a small potion of those blessings back to our fathers on this special day.

May there be peace on earth. Let all Fathers be honored. May all children of all father’s everywhere flourish in the abundance of God’s chesed love.