In one of the final scenes of the movie Thor, there is a conversation between Thor and Odin his father that goes as follows;
ODIN: You’ll be a wise King.
THOR: There will never be a wiser king than you. Nor a better father.
Thor: I have much to learn. I know that now. Someday, perhaps, I shall make you proud.
ODIN: You’ve already made me proud.
AS I have thought more and more about these lines and what they mean, I have had several revelations.
1. YOU’LL BE A WISE KING. Our fathers know these things before we do. Why, because they have worked very hard to make sure of it. They have corrected us when we need to be corrected, they have cheered for us when we needed to be cheered for. They have taught us when we needed to be taught. They have worked very hard to bestow upon us the wisdom in which their fathers bestowed upon them and then some.
We may never be a king over a kingdom, but our fathers hope and pray that someday we will be a king over our house, and that we will rule our house in a wise way.
2. THERE WILL NEVER BE A WISER KING THAN YOU, NOR A BETTER FATHER. As sons we can only strive and work hard to be as good a father as ours has been. Even though my dad spent 21 years in the Navy, and would be gone 6 months out of the year. When he was at home he worked really hard to make up for the time that he missed while gone. He worked hard to teach us right and wrong, he played with us and spent time with his family. When he retired in 1979, he really was there for us, but I was not used to a full time dad, and I really had a hard time with it. He worked hard to teach, but I like Thor, wanted to rule my own kingdom. When I turned 21, was the first day I realized that my father was a wise man and a GREAT FATHER.
3. I HAVE MUCH TO LEARN. I KNOW THAT NOW. SOMEDAY, PERHAPS, I SHALL MAKE YOU PROUD. Now as a father myself and even before I had children I realized that I have much to learn. That there is never a time that we stop learning from our fathers. He continues to teach me about being a dad and husband. He is a man who realizes that he is still learning as well. We now are able to be like iron sharpening iron and challenge each other in our beliefs and thoughts. I continue to learn day after day more and more about being a good father.
4. YOU’VE ALREADY MADE ME PROUD. These are words that I think I have heard very few times, and as I think back, I have longed to hear them many many times. I think that sometimes we work so hard just to hear these words, wanting to hear these words, but never getting there. We have to remember that even though we may never hear our fathers say these words to us, they really are proud of us. I would imagine that our fathers say they are proud of us more than we think they do. They say it to their own siblings, they say it to their friends, coworkers, spouse, parents. WE may never hear it, but I am sure they say it.
But we as fathers must remember that our children need to hear it. They really need to hear that we are proud of something they did, or even something they chose not to do. I say we can’t wait until it is time for them to rule their own kingdom before we tell them YOU’VE MADE ME PROUD!
This week away from my family has made me realize that, I am very proud of my children and what they stand for. I love them all very much and cannot wait to see them. Also, that I do many things in my life that I have never heard my dad say he is proud of me for doing, but because of his teachings, he is proud of me for what I do.
There are many men away from their families right now serving our country so that we may enjoy freedom and liberty. There are many fathers away from their children, because they have chosen to serve our country, or because their child has chosen to serve our country. I ask you to pray for these families, pray for a safe return home from service. Pray for protection as they serve our country. Pray for strength in the family as they wait for the return of those loved ones. And please remember when you a man in uniform today thank him for serving our country, and tell them you are very very Proud of them.
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Bill Bain, serving in Mississippi on Father’s Day.