Being Daddy

"Daddy, can we go on a date this weekend?" Not a week goes by that Evey does not ask me that question and I hope she never stops asking me for those dates. Our last date was to NEHBC's Daddy Daughter Dinner this past Friday. It was a special night and we had a great time. Evey curled her hair and dressed up in a beautiful dress.  I donned a suit and tie and waited at the bottom of the stairs as Evey came down to meet me. I gave her a wrist corsage and we took pictures together. I opened every door for her and even helped her with her chair at our table. It was a big deal and she loved it.

I still remember the day that we found out our first child was going to be a girl. When the ultrasound tech announced, "Its a girl," I was speechless. Sharon swears I turned pale and she thought I was disappointed. The truth is all my mind could process was the question, "What am I going to do with a little girl?" Those of you who know me understand that I strongly embrace being a man and all the manly things that come along with that. I never saw myself as a daddy to a little girl, but God knew I needed her in my life to change me for the better. Maybe he did it to tone me down just a bit. The next thought that ran through my mind after discovering I was going to be the father to a girl was, "I gotta get more guns and start saving for a wedding." I was never disappointed with the news of a baby girl and today Evey is one of the greatest blessings that God has ever given me. 

The one thing I have learned more and more over the last nine years of Evey's life is that she will develop her understanding of what a godly man should be from our relationship. I will be the one to show her how a man should treat her. She will learn what to expect from a man by the way I respond to her. She looks to me for affection and attention and the way I treat her, and Sharon, will imprint what she will accept from a man in the future. It is my job to protect her and to provide for her. I have to reassure her through scary times. I am the one who has to guide her to Jesus Christ and teach her that He loves her more than I ever could. I have to do all of this for her until the day comes when God entrust her to another man in marriage. That's a lot of responsibility and it is hard to do as I strive to follow Christ.

Being "Daddy" to a little girl has taught me a lot but I know I have much more to learn. My most recent effort to be a better daddy has been to read through the book Bringing Up Girls by Dr. James Dobson. Fathers, this book will open your eyes and I consider it a must read for all men who are raising daughters. Take your role as Daddy seriously because the stakes are too high for us to fail. Take the time to learn from our heavenly Father the right way to do it and pray for His grace, mercy, and wisdom to guide you as you raise all your children. We cannot do it without Him. He knows more about being Daddy than we ever will.