Father's Day is a special day where we come together as families, communities, and even nations to celebrate those men who have impacted our lives in so many ways through their example of faith. Below are just a few of the emails that were sent to the Christianity Today Connection newsletter from readers who wanted us — and the entire Christianity Today community — to know just how much their fathers and grandfathers mean to them. We hope these letters will help you gain a newfound appreciation of the impact that your father and grandfathers have made in your own life.
Matt Donnelly
for the Christianity Today staff

Afflicted, Yet Radiant
I always thought my father was a bit too romantic about the notion of death but when his hour came, his passion for seeing Jesus face-to-face only grew stronger.

Toward the end, the doctor asked him, "Mr. Schmidt, do you know that you are dying?" "Yes," he replied, "I'm passing from pain to peace" and then he interviewed the physician about the doctor's spiritual health!

My continual prayer is that God would grant me the same spiritual courage and unshakable faith that He gave to my father.
Doug Schmidt
Colorado Springs, Colorado

It has been said that any man can be a father, but it takes a special kind of father to be a dad. I've always seen my dad as that special type. Looking back on my life, I guess the thing I liked most about my dad is the many ways he showed his commitment to God. I remember when I was just a boy, we were in the field one day (on the farm) when a sudden thunderstorm came up with high winds. An old cotton house stood in the field, and we went inside for protection from the storm. Daddy, holding my hand, prayed aloud to God. And, as I recall, he spoke only five words, Lord, take care of us.

Those five words would not mean so much coming from the average person. But I knew the man who uttered those words — the evidence of his faithfulness was ever before me. And through that incident on that spring day, I was led closer to the God that my dad served. Though I was not yet saved, that little incident was a major stepping stone to lead me to Christ.

I wasn't afraid of the storm that day because my father was there. Dad wasn't afraid either, because his Father was there too.
Joel
Mississippi

When I was a young boy of maybe 9 or 10 years old, I remember walking by my mom and dad's bedroom. The door was opened a little bit and I could see my dad (he was around 31 or 32 then) down on his knees beside his bed saying his prayers. Wow! That image has stuck in my mind for some 40+ years now. I can't tell you how many times I have thought about that scene.

My dad was the head elder in my home church all through my teen years and many years after that. (I have been an elder in every church where I was a member too. He has taught Sunday School over 40 years and still is at present. (I have taught Sunday School for 31 years and still am, too).

My dad worked hard to support our family, always setting a good Christian example in his business. My dad was married to my mom for 22 years until she died of cancer (till death they did not part), and has now been married to my stepmom for 27 years. I was married 11 years to my first wife, when she died of cancer in 1971. Now I've been married to my second wife for soon to be 19 years.

The difference my dad made in my life was brought about by the strong Christian example he put before me daily. I never heard my dad ever take God's name in vain. My dad took a lot of time to take me fishing (he still does this today) and hunting and taking me with him to his work. I also took my sons fishing and target shooting and to zoos, museums, skateboarding, for walks in the woods, etc.

In my thoughts, there is no doubt that my dad made a difference in my life. His commitment to God has been passed down to me and now down to my sons, his grandsons. Thanks, dad, for your part in my life.
Jim Shouse
Wheatfield, Indiana

My father taught me to seek God, to search after Him with my whole heart (Jer. 29:13). Dad showed me what a difference full surrender to God makes. Dad was a "carnal Christian" most of his life — all of my growing years. He went to church and put on a spiritual front, but during the week he lived as he liked. He was an angry, bitter man with a temper, and we children often bore the brunt of it. In the last decade, however, after the kids left home, Dad began to seek God with all his heart.

I don't know why, after so many years, he chose to wholeheartedly follow God. But he did. The difference in Dad's life was profound. He found and extended forgiveness. He let go of anger and bitterness. His life was marked with love and joy. He became a bold witness for Christ everywhere he went — to family, friends, and complete strangers. My relationship with him was renewed. Christ became the true center of our extended family. When he passed away suddenly this past April, at the young age of 63, his funeral was filled with people who knew him as the "old" Mel, and heard of his transformation into the "new" Mel.

What a tremendous testimony he left of what God can do with one who seeks God with his whole heart and surrenders completely!
Maureen Small
Abbotsford, British Columbia

My Grandfather was a man of strong faith and had no problems sharing it with his grandchildren. Each year we all gathered in a sort of family reunion at the outer banks of North Carolina. Grandpa managed to gather the grandkids each day (the oldest being about 8) and tell us Bible stories.

One year each day we had "Grandpa's Vacation Bible School," and at the end of the week we had memorized John 3:16. Grandpa gave each of us a little Bible in which he wrote why he presented it and what we had memorized. When he died, one of the memories that brought a smile to the grandchildren's faces was "Grandpa's Vacation Bible School" and several of us managed to dig up our bibles and bring them. We all managed to remember the verse that he taught us.
Becky Davidson
St. Louis, MO

I am 14 years old and my dad has helped me feel like I can do things that I never thought I could do. He plays in my church band and he has inspired me in a lot of ways. He always tells me I can do things even when I think I can't.

I recently have been asked to start to play the keyboard in my church youth church's band. I dreaded to think about it because I haven't been introduced to something like this before. When I told my dad, he was so proud of me, and he made me feel like I could do this. I went to our youth pastor and told him I wanted to play, and now I get to start to practice with the band.

I have only been playing the piano for three years, and that's not too long considering you have so much to learn. My dad helped me with my self-confidence and I really cant wait to start, even though I am still a little nervous.
Amanda
Wappingers Falls N.Y.

Grandpa always wore overalls and a brown hat as he worked his chores on the farm, milking Babe the cow and feeding the animals and working in the fields. In the summertime his bald head would look so funny and bright against the deep tan of his face. He would whistle and sing and dance a jig as he came in the door through the back porch, which would startle my grandmother, and then we would all giggle.

When we visited the farm, we city grandkids were intrigued by the little things grandpa was so good to point out — the habits of the hogs and the structure of the chickens' nests and the cotton balls being formed on the plants. Every time he sang hymns in church, he would get a tear in his eye. Best of all was the time he donated his private funds to help my parents buy me a piano — it was a whopping $70, and the tightly wrapped wad of dollar bills smelled like the rafters of the barn where it had been stashed for as long as it had taken him to save it.

He cultivated our sense of humor, our outlook on life, and our curiosity as carefully as he worked his crops. Thank God for a sensitive, hardworking grandpa.
Debbie Carroccio
Woodbury, Minnesota

My father is a retired master mariner who for my entire childhood was a captain for Weyerhaeuser Shipping. Although he was gone from the house for months at a time, often 6 to 9 months at a stretch, I grew up closer to him than most of my girlfriends were to their fathers who came home at 5 o'clock every evening.

I am his youngest child, and I am almost 50 years old, but we all still call him Daddy. He has been my hero all my life, and there was never anything which I didn't feel comfortable talking to him about. He never judged me and always listened and gave thoughtful and intelligent advice.

The first Christmas that he was actually home since I was 3 weeks old was when I was 10 years old, although we spent a lot of Christmases in other towns where he was in port over the holiday. No matter where we were, being with him was always "home" to us. Letters and phone calls from foreign ports all over the world were common all our lives, and no matter where he called from, he would spend as much time on the phone with each of us as we wanted, never rushing us and always ready with good advice and humor.

Every year during the summer he would take his two-and-a-half-month vacation. When we picked him up at the port, he would unload big wooden crates from the ship full of gifts for all of us from exotic places all over the world, which was always exciting. But the biggest gift was having him home even though it meant stricter discipline and cleaning our plates at dinner. I was the last one left at home, age 17, when my father retired from sailing and "came ashore" for good.

I was never an easy child to raise, and as a young adult and into my 30s I went through many hardships — including single parenthood. My father was always there for me. He was my hero in so many different ways that it would actually fill a book to tell the many stories, but the most important thing my father did for me was his unconditional love and generosity. Because of this, when the time came for me to know Jesus, it was easy for me to accept Him as my Lord, Savior and heavenly father.

My father sacrificed his own happiness in many ways so his family could enjoy a good life, plus he showed us how close a person can be even though you can't see him, so knowing Jesus made a lot of sense. I was blessed with the best Dad, and for that I will always be so very grateful.
Jan H.
Henderson, Nevada

My dad was affectionately known to all as "Deacon Wash" (because our family name was Washington), "Pops," or just "Daddy." He was a father to our entire neighborhood. Growing up in the inner city of Philadelphia was hard, but we knew that God had sent us a man of wisdom, stamina, protection, and much love.

My dad didn't say a lot, but he walked the talk. You just knew that he loved Jesus — and us. The other kids in our neighborhood had more 'things' than we did. (Seven kids were rough to buy for in the 60s.) But they always seemed to be at our house with our large loving family. Everyone brought their problems to our dad, and even though he was stern, they always knew his answers would be fair.

His desire was that all seven of his children graduate high school. (We were the first generation in our family to do so, and I have gone on to a doctorate.) My dad had to quit school in the 4th or 5th grade to help his mother raise his eight sisters and brothers. He never complained as he walked over five miles to work each night as a boiler room maintenance person.

For 39 years he was the joy of my mother's life. He accepted Jesus first and then led each of his family members to Christ. He learned to read by sitting and praying to God to help him read his own Bible, which he eventually did learn to do. We all miss him, but we are all now serving the Lord, which was my dad's final prayer.
Dr. B. T. Thomas
Newark, Delaware

I am the oldest of six children. My Dad died in March 1972, before my fist son was born.

He had always encouraged me, but I will never forget the end of eighth grade. I attended a school that gave out signature books before graduation. I had all my teachers and friends sign it. When I got home, I asked Dad if he would and he said sure. Then he wrote, "This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased."

All my life that has influenced how I deal with people. One biblical quote at the appropriate time has had a life long effect. I hope someday to hear about a similar time in my children's lives.

At Dad's funeral my wife was listening to each sibling and discovered that each of the six of us thought we had been Dad's favorite. That is some record!
Jim Liszanckie
Greenport, NY

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