The first event in this country honoring only fathers was held on July 5, 1908, as a result of a tragedy in West Virginia. A mine had exploded and killed 362 men the previous December. A church in a nearby town held a special service in memory of the men who had lost their lives. However, this was a one-time commemoration and not an annual holiday.

The next year, across the country in the state of Washington, another unfortunate situation was a catalyst for the pursuit to establish an official day to honor fathers. Sonora Smart Dodd and her five siblings were raised by their father after their mother died in childbirth. Sonora thought fathers should be honored, just as mothers were.

On June 19, 1910, Father’s Day became an official celebration across the state of Washington. The holiday slowly began to spread to other states. However, 62 more years passed before President Nixon signed a proclamation to make it a permanent federal holiday.

During the 1920s and 1930s, a national movement arose to stop celebrating Mother’s Day and Father’s Day and to replace them with one celebration, called Parents’ Day. People rallied every year on Mother’s Day in support of Parents’ Day.

The celebration of Father’s Day may not resonate with everyone, but we should show appreciation to the fathers and father figures who have blessed our lives. Of course, no father/father figure is perfect, and neither are all fathers/father figures evil. If we think we are deprived of things when our relationships do not live up to expectations, we should present them to God in prayer. God is present with us in all situations. We should praise and give God thanks for those who bless our lives and pray for the transformation of those who do not.

Question of the day: How can I show appreciation to my father/father figure?
Focal scriptures: 1 Samuel 3:12-13; 1 Thessalonians 2:11-12; Luke 15:11-20

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