Thoughts from Christian teens about their relationship with their fathers.

Another look at Dad

Growing up with working parents and an older and younger brother who were both very involved in sports and other activities, I often pictured myself as the "forgotten child." Although I am the middle child of three, I was, still am, and always will be my daddy's one and only little girl.

Throughout the years we have had our share of disagreements. They have always been the typical arguments about curfew, friends, grades, clothing, responsibility, attitude, etc.

My father has worked for the police department for 25 years and knows from experience how dangerous a cold-hearted world can be. This is a reason my dad is very protective of me.

It's not that he doesn't trust in my ability to make healthy decisions, but that he doesn't trust the world. My father has always been strict with me. His commands have always been direct and set in stone, un-twistable so that I could never change them to be how I would like them to be. His punishments were never wimpy. I received what I deserved.

There are times when I can't help but feel jealous of my friends who have parents that let them do so much more than me and get away with a lot.

In our arguments my favorite defense was always, "When my brother was my age you had no problem letting him do this!" Although I always thought this was unfair, I have come to realize that the reasons he is so strict (and what I sometimes think is unfair) is only because he loves me.

When Daddy is "unfair" and I run to my mother for a little assistance, she often tells me, "Your father loves you more than anyone in the whole world does." At first this made me think, "Wow, then everyone must really hate me!" But through everything, even when I am in the doghouse, my dad feels for me the most. My father acts the way he does because of how much he loves me. I know there will be disagreements, but I also know that my father will always be fair and just even though I may not see it at the time.

Love your dad

You only get one true father in your life. No matter who he is, he loves you and will always love you. I have a father who is gone a lot, but he still finds time to talk and help me with my homework and take me to my friends' houses.

I love my dad and I know that even when we are not together on this earth, we will be together in heaven someday thanks to Jesus. Love your dad and your mom. Even if you only have one, they're always precious.

Dad's not always wrong

When I was younger I always thought my dad didn't know what he was talking about. There were plenty of times he told me I couldn't do something. He would say, "It's for your own good." But I didn't believe him. Sometimes he'd stop fighting with me and later on I would realize he had been right.

Now I'm starting to learn that my dad sometimes knows what he's talking about. He's been around longer than I have and he's experienced more. Because he loves me, my dad tries to do what he thinks is right and won't endanger me. The Lord has blessed me with a great father and I've very thankful.

Work at acceptance

My dad and I have a unique relationship. We love to do things together whenever we have time. My dad does not only help me through life, he is a friend whom I can trust. We consider running and working out as being fun. No matter how busy we both are, we somehow manage to do this at least once a week together. This is our time to talk about life: from the weather to work and school to our dreams. This time together allows us to get to know each other much more deeply than I ever would have imagined. Besides running and working out we enjoy just about anything, such as playing board games, cards, and going out to eat and to the movies.

Now this is not a perfect relationship. We have our little arguments and differences like most fathers and daughters, but we try to work through them together. I try to accept who he is because he accepts who I am. Sometimes I take advantage of our relationship and do not realize how special it is.

I love him and thank God for blessing me with a wonderful Lutheran father. I pray that each hour, day, and year I get closer to him and my Lord.

Get some ideas about letting your father know you love him. If you haven't read it, check out a story about how one girl learned the value of her father.