I never had a father who when I tried to commit suicide came to visit in the hospital and handed me a hunting knife and told me to do a proper job next time.
I never had a father who would sexually abuse me and my siblings for years.
I never had a father who told me I was worthless and would never amount to anything.
But by the grace of God:
I had a father who when I was despondent about treatment I had received from other Christians taught me how to change my focus from horizontal to vertical.
I had a father who when I had done wrong, was not afraid to wallop me but at the same time be able to hug me and tell me he loved me.
I had a father who when I was thirteen would give me my weekly allowance of ten cents and be serious when he told me not to spend it all at once.
I had a father who demonstrated by his lifestyle what it meant to be a follower of Christ.
Indeed, I am a blessed man.
Chris