A Parting Gift

Yesterday, for the first time, my sons watched their father cry.  Our dog of over eleven years died.  Henry and I found her together, and as I held her in my arms, wracking sobs shook my body.  I struggled to hold them back, attempting to show a strong front for him to cling to during a time of duress.  But the tears fell despite my efforts.  

I believe the boys were struck more by my vulnerability than by the passing of our beloved companion.  As men, there is tremendous pressure to keep emotions in check.  As fathers, we attempt to instill a similar “strength” in our sons.  While they have seen me lose my temper (far too many times), they have never seen their father succumb to emotions like this.

As I related this to a friend, I lamented that the boys saw me in such a state.  His response lifted me up… “Thank God they witnessed that.  How odd would it have been to see their father show no emotion.  What lesson would that show them?”

My mind immediately conjured the image of a weeping Christ standing over his friend, Lazarus.  Our Father’s example is not stoicism, not an unemotional foreign body, not a cold inanimate force.  God made into man shows human vulnerability, establishing intimacy, welcoming his people to find comfort in a father who understands our hearts.  A serenity came over me as the Spirit worked.  My boys saw their father act accordingly, lovingly, as we have seen our Father.  Through a relationship with Him, our sorrow transformed into a precious moment accompanied by prayers heavy with gratitude.  

What a sweet parting gift.

Your brother in Christ,

Thomas Goodrich