By Dunford Cole

As Father’s Day approaches, we are given the opportunity to pay tribute to those who have come before us and those who are currently by our side. This upcoming holiday will be the second Father’s Day without my dad, who passed away in February of 2023. Not a day has gone by that I haven’t thought of him. 

I can still hear his voice saying, “If you don’t do it right the first time, when will you find the time to fix it?” This was one of his favorite sayings, and looking back, I realize he was right. 

Our time on this Earth is limited, and we must make the most of it as we only have one chance to influence our children positively. We must raise them in the ways of the Lord, give them the greatest gift of all – teaching them to love God with their lives, to love and respect their mother, and to let their behavior be a shining example of the Christian faith. 

If we don’t take the time to do it right, we may never be able to correct it. I pray for all the fathers out there to have a blessed and joyful Father’s Day.

Rev. Dunford Cole is pastor of Camp Ground and Rutledge Methodist Church. He is presiding elder for the Six Rivers and Midpoint District.