06/21/2026
A Father’s Day Tribute to Dads
Tomorrow we celebrate Father’s Day.
As I reflect on my own life, I find myself deeply grateful for my father, Bert Gross. He was more than a provider and protector. He was affectionate, patient, kind, and present. He knew how to express love, and because he did, he left an imprint on my heart that remains to this day.
My father passed away in 1974 when I was only fifteen years old. My mother went home to be with the Lord in 2020. Not a day goes by that I do not miss them both. Yet the gift they gave me continues to bear fruit.
As Father’s Day approaches, I want to honor not only the dads in our church Ohana, but every father who reads these words.
Thank you.
Thank you for getting up early and staying up late.
Thank you for carrying responsibilities that often go unnoticed.
Thank you for providing, protecting, leading, serving, sacrificing, and persevering.
Thank you for being a steady presence in a world that often lacks stability.
Fatherhood is one of the highest callings God has entrusted to mankind. Dads have the incredible privilege of representing the heart of our Heavenly Father to their children. No father does this perfectly, but every father who strives to love, guide, encourage, and bless his family is worthy of honor.
You matter.
You are appreciated.
You are respected.
You are needed.
The impact of a loving father cannot be measured. Long after his words have been spoken and his work is finished, his influence continues through generations.
At the same time, I recognize that Father’s Day is not joyful for everyone.
For some, it is a painful reminder of what was missing.
Perhaps your father was distant, absent, passive, controlling, abusive, or performance-oriented. Perhaps you longed for affection, affirmation, and connection but never received it. Often our fathers gave us what they themselves received. A man who was never loved well frequently struggles to love well.
For many years, I carried wounds from losing my father at such a critical season of life. His death left me feeling abandoned, angry, and alone. Although he loved me deeply, his absence affected me for decades.
Then something remarkable happened.
At forty-four years old, my Heavenly Father stepped into that pain and supernaturally healed my heart.
What no human being could fully restore, God restored.
What years could not heal, the Father’s love healed.
This Father’s Day, if your earthly father failed you, wounded you, or was simply unable to give you what you needed, my prayer is that you would encounter the perfect Father.
The Father who never abandons.
The Father who never forgets.
The Father who is patient, kind, compassionate, and faithful.
The Father who delights in His sons and daughters.
The Father who heals broken hearts and restores what has been lost.
To every dad reading this: thank you for answering the call.
To every son and daughter carrying father wounds: there is healing available in the Father’s presence.
And to our Heavenly Father: thank You for showing us what true fatherhood looks like.
Happy Father’s Day.
“As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.” — Psalm 103:13
—A. Rob
