06/17/2026
I've told the story of Faith, Grace, and Thomas thousands of times, both with written and spoken words. If you listen closely, you will hear a catch in my voice when I get to the part where I call my husband to speak the words that will change his life forever. It was the nurse that spoke the words to me, "I'm so sorry. There's no heartbeat." But, it would be my words that changed his life forever. My words that would leave my young husband, speeding on the loneliest drive to the hospital...although there was no reason to rush anymore.
Since that day, 30 years ago, the SGM Comfort Team and I have walked with hundreds of families as the founder and director of Sufficient Grace Ministries, and I've had the humbling privilege of watching so many fathers navigate through shock, pain, grief, helplessness as they process a variation of those life-changing words.
I've watched fathers...
-parent their fragile babies with their first bath, gently washing the tiniest feet with their strong, weathered daddy hands
- place a bracelet on the most delicate wrists of their baby daughters
- help to get a footprint on a baseball for their sons
- use their fatherly fingers to diaper their little ones
- paint the finger nails of their little girl whose breaths stopped hours before
- muster the strength to whisper (or speak boldly a prayer) over their child as she slipped from earth to heaven's peace
- stand beside a tiny grave, carry the casket holding the weight of the world, digging the grave that would hold a casket he built with his own hands
- comfort the devastated mother of their child, while pushing aside his own pain
I've watched the beauty, love, strength, compassion, courage, and brokenness that comes when a man is stripped and helpless...yet bravely warriors on to breathe the next breath...for his family.
Grieving Fathers, we see you. We see you and we honor you on this Father's Day. You are the heroes in our stories...and we know that you are often not recognized as you carry your grief silently while balancing your families daily needs. You are the protectors, the defenders, the providers, the comforters, the warriors that we need. And, we are so grateful for each one of you. Please know that you are seen, loved, appreciated...and that your children are remembered, not only the ones on earth...but the ones you carry in your heart.
- Kelly Gerken, Founder and Director of SGM
www.sufficientgraceministries.org
