Today’s post is a very important survey. I’d love for you to take a few minutes to take part in this. This survey is for all people, regardless if you are male or female, young or old, single or married, parent or non-parent, etc…
In order to adequately take part in this survey, you’ll have to answer the question honestly, and personally, not generally or theoretically. Please don’t ‘spiritualize’ your answers. Just be straight forward in your responses. Ok, here is the question:
If you were the ‘world’s greatest dad’, what qualities would you have?
In order to answer this question, you’ll actually have to think like a dad. If you have kids, this won’t be too difficult; but if you’re single or female, this might require a bit more of an imagination. Nevertheless, I’d still love to hear your responses.
Thinking about these four questions may help you with this survey:
1. What were the best qualities of your own dad growing up, and now?
2. What qualities did your dad lack that you wished he had?
3. As a dad yourself, what are some of your best qualities?
4. As a dad yourself, what qualities did / do you see yourself lacking?
These four questions should only help you answer the main survey question: ‘If you were the world’s greatest dad, what qualities would you have?’. Please don’t answer these four questions directly.
Please post your answer to the main survey question in the comment section below.
Thanks so much,
Jamal Jivanjee
Unfailing, unflinching, unconditional love. That’s it.
A deep deep deep love and revelation of Christ and his Bride. Loyalty. Transparency. Selflessness. Unconditional love and grace. Humility. And listening ears.
Love and patience, came to me first. Strength, strength that is enduring in a way that stands beside and also lifts up when needed, but does not overpower with brute force, but builds up. Faithfulness, faithful to a child, so that a child knows that no matter what, the child is always part of him, regardless of anything the child could say or do, which leads us back to love again. Gentleness, gentleness that comes from strength, a powerful dad would be a gentle dad. Forgiveness, means that a child knows security and safety in a dad’s heart, always in his heart, which brings us back to love again. Endurance, meaning that a dad will do whatever it takes and for however long it takes, to guide and teach a child, which brings us back to love again.
I would say one of the best qualities of a dad would be rescue…just like what my adopted dad did for me when he rescued me from my broken home. Another would be protection and safety…especially when I had severe nightmares he would come and rock me back to sleep.
No strings love, Humility, Tranquility, willingness to talk and hear people out, lightheartedness,approachability and warmth. I would hope that I would never use humialiation as a disciplinary tool.
I agree with all the above. Personally for me I will add that a dad must be honest. You knew where you stood with my dad because he nver compromises on the truth.
All the fruits of the Spirit my Dad is. He is everything to me. He is the only Dad I have. When I had to have the truth , He made sure I knew it.
Firstly, I would say a healthy relationship that is built around Christ as our core.
Gentleness. Consistency. Honesty. Humility.
Teaching in love and patience and the ability to lay aside His own personal ‘image’ regarding what others think for the sake of his child. I think too many parents get so wrapped up in what people might ‘think’ and get so passionate about protecting their ‘perfect image’ that their parenting becomes flawed and done out of selfishness. I struggled with this.
Also, The ability to lay aside all personal ‘wish dreams’ as you might say, for the child, and just to let the child ‘be’… to pursue what Christ lays on *their* hearts, not to decide *for* the child.
Security, Support, Companionship, and TIME. Not shutting children out of their adult world, but inviting them into it!
Let them draw on the foggy windows and mirrors, eat in the living room, pee in the snow, use crayons in the bath tub, and play drums in the house. They will remember how nit-picky and stuck up you were with the small things if you don’t. I sure Do.
Katie, Hi my name is Craig. Great response! I have owned my own business for 22 years. My brother and I are in the Commercial Concrete biz. My sons used to act like they worked for me when they were little. I got them little hardhats and put company stickers on their hardhats and toys. It was fun while they were little. However, from about the age of 12 and on, I began to explain that God had a plan for them and they needed to seek his heart for their lives and figure out what they were made to do. My oldest, now 20 is a computer freak and studying electronics at OSU. He is a whiz and already has the experience of a 30 year old. My youngest is an International business, communications and Chinese student at Miami (ohio) and very successful in speech and debate. My point is that I didn’t force them into the family biz. I actually tried to steer them away from it unless they could convince me that it was what God had designed them to do. I see so many young people whose parents have decided what their life’s work should be without even asking them. I don’t even want to get started on the parents who have decided that their kids will be athletes… Anyway, great response. God bless.
The list can get quite long, but I’ll mention 5 : loving, gentle, integrity, fearless, friend.
I missed balance, proper training and discipline. I believe that is vital. But without those things I already stated above, I believe it will only create a broken child.
Unfortunately, my father was pretty much completely absent from my life, and I grew up never knowing him at all.
But watching some of the other fathers out there… I knew what I dreamed of. I was fortunate to have a few girlfriends who had wonderful fathers.
Growing up, I wished for a lot of things. I wished for a father who would love me not because I was pretty or because I made good grades, I wished for a father who loved me for just being me.
I wished for a father who would take me fishing. I wished for a father who would teach me the rules of football and baseball even if I was a girl. I wished for a father who would enjoy watching those games with me. I wished for a father who would teach me how to build things like bird houses, kites, and bonfires even though I was a girl. I wished for a father who loved me more than things, more than money, more than his job, more than automobiles, more than sports.
I wished for a father who was sentimental — a father who would write sentimental little personal notes in a birthday card or just leave me a note for no reason at all. I wished for a father who wasn’t afraid of shedding a tear in front of me. I wished for a father who knew the birthstone of the month I was born and reminded me of its color.
I wished for a father who would have long conversations with me about life and his observations of it. I wished for a father who would open up his world to me so that I could love and laugh with him.
I wished for a father who I could call on the telephone if I was sad and he would always be there for me to encourage me and give me advice. More than anything, I wished for a father who would spend time just loving me and letting me into his world.
Alissa K, I loved this from you “……just loving me and letting me into his world.” Yes! Being allowed to interact within your Daddy’s world……that thought brings me into deep contemplation. The world’s greatest Dad is gentle, exceedingly patient and calmly present. Present as in be here now. Present as in around, physically and with attentive lovingkindness. He is a wise guide and cheerful friend. But most of all patient and kind. One Dad like that saturate many generations with love.
A sense of humor.
Well, I can tell you that no earthly dad is perfect. I knew that there were things that my dad did raising me that I wanted to change with my sons. My sons are 19 & 20 years old now. I have told them both 2 things.
1. I guarantee you there are mistakes that I have made raising you. Even if you don’t know what they are now, I am sure you will at some point.
2. There is absolutely nothing that you can do to make me love you any less. My love for you is unconditional .
So yea, number one quality: unconditional love.
Looking back on the last 20 years; If I could do it all over, I would definitely change a few things. I am sure that when Luke and Graham figure out what those things are, nothing will change between us. why? Because one thing that I know I did right was teach #2 above.
Unconditional love and forgiveness.
I want my children to know that no matter what, I am there for them.
A father of three boys, and having not grown with a present father, I desire to be present for my children, model for them by living out the things I want them to learn, loving them as my children and not for what they do, being open to them in a way they can identify with my struggles and the journey I’ve made through life. Living authentically so they’d not have a life training that is disconnected from their&my experience.
The word coach comes to mind. The best coaches love their players and are devoted to seeing them reach their full potential, which requires the abiltiy to balance discipline and grace.
I appreciate the question. I’m single but for me the desire of relationship comes to mind, spending time together, conversing. These are the things I hope to give my children one day. Fellowship that I never had growing up.
Strong, smart, resourceful, patient, loving, disciplinarian, consistent, non favoritist within my own family. Teacher, leader