Three D

I've been asked to speak at a father/daughter bar-b-que this Wednesday. The girls are second through sixth grade. The theme is "Three D's" Daughters, Dads and Dogs.

As a dad we posses two very distinct aspects. At once we are a father and a daddy.

The father role is to protect, guide and shape the lives of the precious girls God has entrusted to us.

The daddy role is to play, laugh and forgive.

The distinctly different roles can be difficult to amalgamate. It can also be difficult to know when which is required. Sometimes we're daddys when we should be fathers and fathers when we should be daddys. It's a complex dynamic, a man trying to do right by a little girl. A little girl he loves more than he ever thought he could. A precious life he would die for without a second of hesitation.

As I work through the theme and the dynamics of communicating to this diverse group I'm developing a comparison.

Puppies are happy. Dogs are excited to greet you. They love you, they are forgiving. They are like a daddy.

Seeing-eye dogs are faithful. They are responsible to see what can't be seen. They lead through the dark, confusing times. They are like a father.

As a dad, we are two things.

I pray I can communicate these pictures well.