There is a Yiddish proverb: Mann Tracht, Un Gott Lacht – Man plans and God laughs. God’s Word is filled with warnings about how vulnerable and precarious life is. You and I are eyewitnesses to the truth of that. This year we moved to a new “normal” and, sadly, it looks as though we have lost Mayberry forever.
This Sunday we will celebrate Father’s Day in our coronavirus world. Fortunately, fathers are accustomed to last minute shifts and plan modifications. They have lived their lives juggling the schedules and whims of their families; this is especially so if there were daughters involved
General Douglas MacArthur was a much-celebrated father. He commanded the Southwest Pacific in World War II; he presided over the unconditional surrender of the Japanese aboard the USS Missouri; he led the coalition of UN troops during the Korean War. He served as superintendent of West Point Academy, Chief of Staff of the Army, and Field Marshal of the Philippines.
During the desperate days of the Pacific War in the Philippines, MacArthur wrote a prayer for his son, Arthur. When the General died in 1964, the New York Times highlighted it in a full page tribute to this military father.
“Build me a son, O Lord, who will be strong enough to know when he is weak, and brave enough to face himself when he is afraid; one who will be proud and unbending in honest defeat, and humble and gentle in victory.
“Build me a son whose wishes will not take the place of deeds; a son who will know Thee—and that to know himself is the foundation stone of knowledge.
“Lead him, I pray, not in the path of ease and comfort, but under the stress and spur of difficulties and challenge. Here let him learn to stand up in the storm; here let him learn compassion for those who fail.
“Build me a son whose heart will be clear, whose goal will be high, a son who will master himself before he seeks to master other men, one who will reach into the future, yet never forget the past.
“And after all these things are his, add, I pray, enough of a sense of humor, so that he may always be serious, yet never take himself too seriously. Give him humility, so that he may always remember the simplicity or true greatness, the open mind of true wisdom, and the meekness of true strength.
“Then I, his father, will dare to whisper, ‘I have not lived in vain.’”
Happy Father’s Day to you all. May the Lord keep you in safety and good health.
We love you!
Janet
PS…. My first post-coronavirus event will be on July 21, 22. Details are on the website.
Janet Paschal 