By Miriam Ankerbrand, Development Coordinator
At our recent Father Daughter Retreat, the speaker challenged the dads to be leaders for their daughters, to set examples for them and guide them.
As the weekend was ending, he offered communion to those who wanted to participate with their daughters. “Dads, I want YOU to be the ones to bring your daughters forward for communion. You will be the ones to explain to them the sacraments and why we do communion as Christians. Lead them in this,” the speaker said.
Many fathers took their daughters forward to participate. One by one each dad talked with their daughters about the symbolism of communion. One particular father/daughter pair went forward. The dad shared with her about the symbolism of the bread and he ate it. Then he shared about the cup and he drank from the juice. His daughter watched him closely and was taking it all in, but sat in silence. Puzzled, the father asked her, “Is there something wrong? Why aren’t you eating the bread and drinking the juice?”
“I can’t. I don’t have Jesus in my heart yet, Dad. But I want him to be.”
“We can do that right now,” he told her. “Would you like to do that?”
“Yes, Dad. I want Jesus in my heart.” Then, in perhaps one of the most emotional moments of the weekend, this father took his daughter before the throne of grace and helped her pray to begin a relationship with Jesus. He was leading his daughter to begin a relationship with a Father he already knew. And now his heavenly Father was her heavenly Father too!
Let’s play “Follow the Leader.” Is there someone in your life you know could use the guidance of a Christian and help them see their need for Jesus? I Corinthians 11:1 tells us “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” Let us continually work to show the love of Jesus to others in a way that they too would want to follow Him.
