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It's been my honor to meet some of the finest fathers in our country who also are helping to win the war on terror. One such dad, an F–16 fighter pilot, shared how a "routine" flight over the Arabian Desert turned into something far different. After he took off on a routine patrol, his jet's warning lights began flashing to signal a serious problem with the hydraulic system. As one of the best of the best, this pilot pushed aside his fear and made his mind go through a rigid checklist in preparation for an aborted mission and an emergency landing.

But as he struggled to land his fighter, my friend said the one thought he couldn't hold captive was the one he treasured most of all: that of his loving wife and two precious daughters.

Just let me get home, Lord, he prayed. Just let me get home.

My friend's plane did land safely that morning. Today he's home with his family. But this story illustrates a need I see constantly in the lives of fathers.

While few of us put our life on the line as consistently as an F–16 pilot, we all face times of crisis. And when the chips are down, most of us long for the support of a strong family. That's true even for our children. While we know our grade–schooler being rejected by her "best friend" isn't the end of the world, it seems that way to her. Just like us, when days are tough, our kids long for a place to retreat.

That's why you need an "emotional emergency management kit" at home. I'm not talking about the kind you find at sites such as www.ready.gov, the website built by the Federal Emergency Management Association that shows families how to put together a "kit" of nonperishable food, water, a battery–powered radio, and medical supplies for times of national crisis.

You need to put together an emotional emergency management kit for everyday crises that is filled with four "home remedies" to help your family face trials great and small:

Hope. That's our ability to give our children and spouse the assurance that even if we can't see the whole picture or understand why something's happened, a hopeful future awaits our family. "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit" (Romans 15:13).

Healing. When a family member's been hurt by unkind words or events, a father needs to be ready to come alongside with healing words and hugs, not inference or lectures. "Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness" (Acts 4:29).

Help. One name for the Holy Spirit is our "Helper" (John 15:26). Whether it's helping a child with a huge project, our spouse with a difficult situation with her friend, or the whole family with the loss of an aging parent, we need to repair, restore, and renew a hurting family member.

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