I am so super blessed to share this Father’s Day message from my Dear Sister in Christ Lynn Stonking. Sharon and I and thousands of others just adore this family! You will be so very blessed by Lynn’s message! God Bless you Sister and Happy Father’s Day to your hubby Thomas!
Lynn Stoneking
My parents – Gene and Margaret Duerksen – pictured with the grandchildren at the very top.
‘The Steadfast Love of a Father’
Lamentations 3:21-26 NIV
Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope:
Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
I say to myself, “The LORD is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him.”
The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him,
to the one who seeks him;
it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.
Father’s Day. A day to honor our dad’s.
A day to honor ‘men’ who have filled that ‘dad’ role – maybe
when we didn’t have a father in our own home.
I get up early each morning. My mom would get up really early in the mornings.
I never knew why – until I became a mother. Ha!
(It’s the only time of day when peace and quiet fill our home.)
When I milked cows in my single years, I loved the early-morning hours in the barn –
while the dairy cows were still sleeping in their stalls (parlor milking, open-air barn).
I would walk through the alleys, gently nudging the mamas, rubbing their heads, trying to
get them to rouse and arise and make their way up to the milking parlor. And I would
most-assuredly get to see the sun rise during this time.
Sunrise. My favorite time of the day.
I was just explaining this morning to my 10 yr old son why I
get up early in the morning. (He does too – a 5-am’er!)
“Buddy – for me, there’s something about seeing the sun come up in the morning.
It’s the start of a new day. You know how I tell you we take one day at a time?
We don’t always plan ahead for things? I know you don’t always like that, but I have
realized that we don’t know what today will hold. Events can change our plans, and that’s okay.
Son – one thing will never change: The sun will always rise and set.
And in that – I see God.
God gives us a new day for today.
Yesterday’s joys and smiles, troubles and trials… they are in yesterday.
Today is today.”
I went on to explain the verse above to my son. This Lamentations 3 passage is a
great HOPE in the midst of my life for these simple reasons:
1. ‘We are not consumed!’ I tend to allow mishaps to consume my mind and cause worry.
This is the tempter trying to entangle his fingers and webs into places that he
doesn’t belong! Father God will break those consuming thought patterns and prisons when
I stay focused on the additional promises!
2. ‘His compassions never fail!’ When I think of compassion, I think of my heart ‘feeling’ for
someone. I am pulled toward them – not out of pity, but out of Love. I care. Father God’s
3. ‘His mercies are new each morning!’ To start a new day with the sunrise is much-needed
The beginning of a new day is a slate-wiped-clean!
Life doesn’t need to consume my thoughts.
God’s heart feels and cares for me and you.
God’s forgiveness is new for each day – simply because He Loves His Children.
My parents – Gene and Margaret Duerksen -, pictured with the grandchildren, have taught me much of this love and
understanding of the Father. I have also had to learn it on my own.
But I credit them with giving me the foundation I needed to build my faith in a
loving and forgiving Creator God. To trust that God really does care about
‘lil ole me’.
My dad Gene was promoted to Heaven last August 2019 after 50+ years of Diabetes and other
numerous health struggles. One thing I have heard many times about him since his death here
is ‘he never gave up on me’. Men and women both, speaking of the relationship they had with my
dad – a dedicated prayer-warrior for the Kingdom.
“When other people did – your dad didn’t give up on me.”
Tears in their eyes; all ages and stages.
For me – this is a picture of our Father God.
If you have not experienced a devoted love in your life yet –
may I suggest starting with your Creator?
My dad always told us and everyone he had a chance to:
“God will never leave you, He will never forsake you;
He will never turn His back on you.
And anyone who does that isn’t worth trusting.”
Practically every doctor or nurse who walked into the room and scanned his medical chart
would then look up at him and say something like, “Wow – you’ve been through a lot in your
lifetime.”
And dad, with mom by his side, would always answer back – faithfully:
“Yes – and God’s been good to me.”
Can you say that today, friends?
I pray you can.
“God’s been Good to me.”
And He will be good and faithful for another day;
another sunrise.
Happy Father’s Day.
