Thanksgiving 1958, I rushed to New Albany to visit the young woman who had become the love of my life. She proudly wore the Pike Pin that was placed upon her, the month before, and it was time to ask her dad for her hand in marriage.

Her dad was on shift work as an operator for TGT and did not get home until after 11 p.m. Although we had met at the university the family sat and reacquainted themselves with this stranger from UT. After an hour of pleasantries my future mother-in-law came out with: “Somebody’s forgotten their lines” and I reached the point where I asked. Mr. Ligon, I want to marry Deanie and I want you to know I intend to love her and do for her the way you would want me to do.

He had a very quick response in behalf of his only daughter. Well, I don’t know! You will have to ask her about that!

This was the beginning of the understanding of the father who raised my wife. As a dad, he loved his family and worked very hard to provide a home for his kids. As a dad who grew up in the Depression he knew how to squeeze a penny. But, he focused on discovering ways to fulfill his sons’ and daughter’s life from their day of birth.

Everything that a father does for his daughter ultimately shapes her life views for herself. Her father provides an image that will serve as a lifetime of knowledge of the expected treatment by other men. The writer of Proverbs states it this way. Fathers are to train a child in the way she should go, and when she is old, she will not depart from it. More importantly, a father is the David in every conflict with the giant, Goliath, every time the giant attacks his children.

Every father is encouraged in Genesis 49:26 to bless his family for the blessing of God from the father is ‘greater than the blessings of the eternal mountains’ or land. The blessing is implied to be everlasting and not temporal. One of the important thoughts in the mind of fathers is the belief that angels are watching over our children. Often through the years we are not at home with family and we rely upon the protection of God as we pray for it. This is backed up by scripture in Psalm 91:1 which reads “For He will give His angels charge concerning you, to guard you in all your ways.”

Fathers, the words we use have the ability to build up or to destroy. Words which may be used to put down sons and daughters through criticism or sarcasm are like beating them with a stick. Obviously, to use kind, encouraging words that picture their useful function in life can have a powerful effect on them. May God help us to encourage our children by pointing out their strengths, but we also need to provide correction and reproof when necessary that the righteous person will be thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

Father’s Day has been observed since June 19, 1910. What an honor to be called Father, or Daddy or Pops or the family love call of every man with family! What is it about Dad that makes him special? When a youth, I would marvel that Dad could fix anything. To think about it, today, I marvel that Dad had time to do everything he did in our home.

N. Brad Carter Jr. is a Meridian resident and operates WMER (1390 AM). He hosts a radio bible class. Email rbc@wmerworldwide.com.