Last week, I ran across one of the more popular Fathers’ Day Cards of the Year,

“Top Ten Things You’ll Never Hear a Dad Say”

A couple of the better ones:

You’ll never hear your Dad say, “Well, how ’bout that?… I’m lost! Looks like we’ll have to stop and ask for directions.”

You’ll never hear your Dad say, “You know honey, now that you’re thirteen, I think you should start unchaperoned car dates. Won’t that be fun?”

And my personal favorite,

You’ll never hear your Dad say, “I know we have a long drive in front of us, and that we’ve only been driving for 30 minutes, but I’m just wondering….does anyone want to stop and go to the restroom?”

That card got me thinking, “What would you never hear your True Father say?”

You will never hear your True Father say, “You aren’t good enough.”

Unlike some of the stories I’ve heard about fathers and children on earth, God is not waiting on you to prove yourself to Him. He says that He accepts you just as you are. And while He loves you too much to leave you where you are, you don’t have to do anything to earn His love, his favor, or a seat at His table. “See what great love the Father has for us, that we should be called the children of God. And that is what we are.”

You will never hear your True Father say, “I don’t have time for you.”

So many pictures of dads on earth are pictures of busy men who are telling waiting children “I’ll be there in a minute.” Maybe you have felt that God is so busy running the universe that he doesn’t have time for your concerns. The Bible tells us that He has counted every hair on your head, that he wants to give you the desires of your heart, and that in the end, He wants to “pitch His tent with us.” God has time for you. And He wants you to spend the rest of forever with Him.

Finally, you will never hear your True Father say, “I’m done with you.”

In this world, we can find ourselves in so much trouble that people walk away. We’ve all had relationships end, sometimes with a bang, and sometimes with a fizzle. But God says that He will never leave us or forsake us. He says that He will be there for us no matter what we’ve done or how long we’ve been doing it. He says that He will stay by our side for good.

Even though I had a great dad, even though I do remember him getting lost once and needing directions. His best quality was that he kept all his promises. It’s what I try to do as a dad. But good as my dad was, and no matter how much I try, no human can be perfect.

That’s why I’m so thankful for a True and Heavenly Father whose promises are a sure as the rising and setting of the sun, and will be with me no matter where I go or what I do.

The same is true for you. He loves you just as you are. He has time for you. And He will never leave you.

Happy Day After Fathers’ Day.