IF YOUR FATHER WAS PATIENT
We project on God the traits we see,
From those we admire, unconsciously.
Believing God treats us just the same,
As others do, we call His name.
If your father was patient, you find,
God’s patience, too, is gentle and kind.
You feel God’s concern in every part,
For you are cherished in His heart.
If your father was kind, you perceive,
God’s gracious acts, His love to receive.
You feel His intervention, pure and deep,
In God’s embrace, your soul will sleep.
If your father was giving, you may see,
God’s support and generosity.
Believing God provides the best for you,
In return, you give your kindness too.
If your father protected you, it’s clear,
God’s protection, you hold dear.
Worthy under His care, you find,
In God’s security, peace of mind.
By Medard Laz
How is YOUR father’s temperament and ways still influencing YOUR life years later?
LISTEN TO GOD WITH A BROKEN HEART. GOD IS NOT ONLY THE DOCTOR WHO MENDS IT, BUT ALSO THE FATHER WHO WIPES AWAY YOUR TEARS!
I have 365 other poems in my book, A POEM A DAY TO PRAY 2025, available on Amazon. My book makes a wonderful gift.
Every day I now provide a Commentary and a Prayer Reflection of the Daily Treat on my Podcast. I invite you to please listen to the above Podcast. Here is the text of what you would be missing today —
My Commentary: If Your Father Was Patient
The poem gently explores one of the most profound truths in spiritual life: how our earthly experiences—especially with our fathers—shape the way we view God. Whether we realize it or not, we often project the character of our human parents onto our divine Parent.
If your father was patient, you are more likely to believe that God is not angry or easily disappointed. If he was kind, you may approach God with trust, not fear. If he was generous, you may believe in God’s providence. And if he protected you, you may feel safe under God’s wings.
But the poem also whispers a deeper challenge: what if your father wasn’t patient, or kind, or giving? What if he was distant, harsh, or absent? In that case, your image of God may have been distorted—and part of your spiritual healing is to let God reshape that image with truth.
The beauty of the message lies in its gentle invitation: to become aware of the lens through which we see God and allow that lens to be purified, softened, and expanded. We are not bound by the past. God is infinitely more loving, patient, kind, and generous than even the best of human fathers.
Ultimately, God is the Father who does not fail, the one who both mends the broken heart and wipes away the tears that come from it.
My Prayer Reflection:
Loving Father,
You know the stories we carry,
The voices that shaped our earliest trust,
And the faces that taught us what love looks like.
Some of those stories are beautiful,
Filled with kindness, laughter, and safety.
Others are shadowed by wounds,
By absence, anger, or pain.
Help me, Lord, to see You clearly—
Not through the limits of human love,
But through the truth of who You are:
Patient, kind, generous, and just.
Where my earthly father reflected You well,
Let me give thanks and grow in trust.
Where he fell short,
Let me be healed by Your perfect love.
Teach me to come to You as a child—
Not in fear, but in freedom,
Not with doubt, but with delight.
You are the Father who runs to meet me,
The One who lifts me when I fall,
And the One who stays, always.
Thank You for loving me better than I can imagine.
Amen.
