Shade Tree Wisdom 6/21/09 Father’s Day

The first Father’s Day was observed by Dr. Robert Webb in 1909. But the first Father’s Day observance was promoted by Mrs. John B Dodd of Washington. She had been one of six children raised by a father when the mother died giving birth to the 6th. Mrs. Dodd simply wanted to honor the work he had done for them. So the first Father’s Day was observed on June 19, 1910 in Spokane, Washington.

In 1913 a Bill was introduced, but it died. President Coolidge supported the idea of a national day in 1924, but it was not untill 1966 that President Lyndon Johnson made a proclamation declaring it a Federal Day.

But Moses had already taught it when He wrote the Jewish Shema. “4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD” And then Moses wrote,5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:
7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
8 And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.
9 And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates. Deut 6, 4-9

I find this teaching very instructive and helpful. Have the words always before you, think of them, discuss them, use every “teachable moment”. Make sure the children KNOW the instruction from God, for they will live by them, find them useful and a rich blessing.

A little item I read tells of a father who often used simply letters for “Don’t lie, Don’t cheat, Slow down and think, and Don’t panic”. He wondered in later life If they would prove helpful. Till one day he had taken his son to a field to watch some deer, and suddenly noticed a fire under the hood. He panicked, because he didn’t have his cell phone handy and no help seemed near. Then he opened the hood and saw the fire was a squirrel’s stash of nuts burning. So the “Slow Down and Think:” sounded clearly in his mind..

That’s what the words written by an inspired Moses teach us. Make sure your teaching sticks. That’s what God blesses.

GPF 6/21/09