Still More Confessions of a Bad Christian

When last I left you I wrote something that some of you somehow interpreted to mean that an article would appear the next day. Here is what I actually wrote:

The article on Dan Fogelberg seemed to connect with a lot of men and we will review those thoughts tomorrow.

I guess I can see how you might read into that statement that I would post something the next day. I think using the word tomorrow might have been the problem. So now I must face the issue that all Christian people face at such a moment. How can I save face?

Uhhhh….what I meant to write was how should I explain my obvious lack of follow through on my cyberword? I had a couple of thoughts. One would be to suggest that I am so godly that I view time like the Lord.

Don’t overlook the obvious here, friends. With God, one day is as good as a thousand years, a thousand years as a day. God isn’t late with his promise as some measure lateness. (2 Peter 3, The Message)

However, I suspected my readers would toss the BS flag on that one. So I have opted for honesty. I erred. I should not have promised a next day article if I couldn’t deliver. Please forgive me. I am no threat to FedEx.

So here is the Dan Fogelberg followup only seven days late. Allow me to start with a bit of the original post.

But the song that I will remember Dan Fogelberg most for is his song written about his dad called “Leader of the Band”. His father was a musician and he passed that talent down to Dan. Parts of the lyric made me think of my Dad while he was still alive.

The leader of the band is tired and his eyes are growing old
But his blood runs through my instrument and his song is in my soul

My Dad helped define who I have become both good and bad. I am blessed that there was far more good than bad in my father. I remember all that my Dad taught me.

I thank you for the music and your stories of the road
I thank you for the freedom when it came my time to go
I thank you for the kindness and the times when you got tough
And, papa, I don’t think I said ‘I love you’ near enough

My Dad knew how much I loved him. Still I wish I had told him more. But this is the portion of the song that continues to impact me as a son.

My life has been a poor attempt to imitate the man
I’m just a living legacy to the leader of the band

My Dad was a wonderful, kind, loving and flawed man. I have the flawed part down. I hope I am following his legacy of joy, kindness and love that he modeled.

The Psalmist writes that as a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him. I am so blessed that I had a dad that allowed me to understand how that looks. Not every man does.

Reader Paul wrote this in response to the article.

I just read your article about Dan Fogelberg on Crosswalk.  I am 49 years old and remember listening to his music on the radio and I would almost always cry when “The Leader of the Band” came on. My parents divorced when I was 13 and Dad somehow didn’t fit into my life much. 
 
But Paul realizes that the chain of dysfunction can be broken.
 
The main difference is Christ in me.  I am what you would call a first-generation Christian.  My hope is that I can pass along better things to my son than my dad did to me because of Christ.
 
That hope is real in Christ. Thanks for your honesty.
 
Bob from Lousiana wrote this.

Your article on Crosswalk touched me. I listened to Dan Fogelberg every chance I had when I was in high school. I find myself not being able to tell my father that I love him enough too.

That was a pretty constant theme from many men. We seem to have a really hard time with that simple statement. For some of us the opportunity has passed. For others it is hard to say to a dad who was absent or unloving. But if you can I would urge you to call your dad and bless him with those simple words. I love you.

If you cannot bring yourself to say those words to your dad then I pray the spirit of God will give you healing and forgiveness. I talk to so many men and women who regret that they did not attempt to reconcile with their parents sooner in the journey. You never know how many more chances you will have to do that. Can I encourage you to begin to break that chain of dysfunction now? It really is possible with Christ.