Father’s Day is a special day for many children both young and old. The love of a godly father sustains the family. Dad is our hero throughout life. A good father is a friend to his children. He knows his loved ones and sees the best in each one of them. He does his best to be impartial, but it is not always easy to do. An excellent father is not a fault finder even though he knows them all. He encourages every child at every level knowing that he is their best advocate second to God. The grace and favor of the Lord helps him guide his children through the course of life.
Regardless of age, your earthly father sees you as a gift from God. He treasures you in his heart, and you remain in his daily thoughts and prayers. Fathers deserve to be respected and loved. We should honor our fathers because it pleases God, and we should honor fathers because of their sacrifices. Have you ever thought what it costs to be a father in the United States of America?
The US Department of Agriculture conducts a survey every year to determine the cost of living. They study the spending of about 5,000 families to find out how much it costs to raise children in this country.
I obtained the following information from the USDA.gov website. Based on data from the Consumer Expenditures Survey, in 2015, a married couple with two children will spend approximately $12,980 annually per child. This information is based on a middle-income family earning between $59,200 to $107,400. A middle-income, married-couple, parents of one child born in 2015 may expect to spend $233,610 ($284,570 if projected inflation costs are factored in) for food, shelter, and other necessities to raise one child through age 17. If you have more than one child multiply this amount by the number of your children and see what your costs may be. By the way, this does not include the cost of a college education.
“Where does the money go? For a middle-income family, housing accounts for the largest share at 29% of total child-rearing costs. Food is second at 18%, and childcare/education (for those with the expense) is third at 16%. Expenses vary depending on the age of the child” – USDA.
Children may be unaware of their father’s reality in life. Think about it! The cost of raising children today is extremely expensive. Such expenses may equal the cost of a small yacht or luxury home. That is a great amount of money, isn’t it? That’s the reason people say, “Dad’s the guy who has a wallet full of pictures where there used to be money.” Your father is not complaining and may not ever complain about the high cost of providing his beloved family with a good living. This is how much he loves you. You are an important part of his life.
So if you’re critical of your dad because you thought he didn’t provide enough for you; or you thought you didn’t have all the opportunities other kids had; or you thought you didn’t have the clothes you wanted, or you thought you didn’t go to all the places you wanted to go, you may want to pause this Father’s Day and say, “I love you Dad. Thank you for being a good provider.”
May the love of God, the joy of Jesus, and the peace of the Holy Spirit be with all fathers.
Silbano Garcia II
Evangelist