I Remember Dad: Prayer Is The Key To Open Thy Heart

By Richard Mabey Jr.

One of the saddest things I’ve endured in my life is listening to a father complain about his son, or vice versa. The solemn sadness those words would bring to my heart, would be of such an immense depth.

For over 20 years, I served as an Assistant Scoutmaster of Boy Scout Troop 170. For over 15 years, I served as a parttime Youth Minister. And, I have worked with young people through organizations such as 4-H and Toastmasters. Sadly, it was not uncommon to hear a father complain about his son, or to hear a son complain about his father.

I was blessed beyond my wildest dreams to have a strong father with a kind heart. My father was a veteran of the Second World War. As a boy, he survived the tough times of the Great Depression. These experiences brought a great respect for self reliance upon my father’s subconscious mind. My father was one of the wisest men whom I have ever known. My father had a deeply kind heart.

I walked hundreds of miles of the Appalachian Trail, by my father’s side. I have taken several week-long hikes along that famous long and winding, mountainous wooded trail. I shared a canoe with my father, for a week-long journey down the Delaware River, five separate summers. My father taught me to hold a deep respect for the forest land, the wild creatures, the streams and lakes, and the birds flying in the air.

If you are a father, who is less than happy with things your son is saying or doing, complaining solves nothing. The first step for any man to have a good, wholesome, blessed relationship with his son, is to pray, pray and pray about it. And then, pray more about it. Complaining only feeds the wound. Complaining only widens the gap.

I know first-hand, how tough it can be to survive in the corporate world. “Mr. Big is flying in from Los Angeles in three days, we’ve got to have those reports completed by then!!!” It’s all so easy to get lost in the demands of work life and fall behind upon feeding the bond with a son. I know it’s important to make a good living. But the very minute a job begins to rob a man of having time to spend with his children, is the time a man needs to find a new job.

I know that some of you may accuse me of being chauvinist in this column. Please know that I have prayed about this subject a great deal, that of the conflict that can happen between a father and a son. I felt a true calling to focus on this subject for this column.

In general, when you complain about someone, you’re really not working toward healing that human relationship. Complaining only strengthens the conflict. And, that is exactly what Satan wants to happen. Prayer opens the human heart. Love burns conflicts to ashes. Forgiveness is the greatest tool for healing broken relationships. And, compassion is the candle that lights up the darkness of misunderstanding.

Richard Mabey Jr. is a freelance writer. He can be reached at richardmabeyjr@ hotmail.com. Please put on the subject line: I Remember Dad.