Years ago, when I dabbled in songwriting, I wrote a line that’s stuck with me:
“I’ll bet it’s a funny feeling when a young’n calls you ‘Daddy,’ and that’s something I can’t wait to hear.”
I came up with that line soon after my wife and I learned we were expecting our first child. I was 22. She was 20. And like most young parents, I was full of questions: Am I ready for this? Can we afford it? What if I mess it all up?
Looking back, I wasn’t ready—not emotionally, at least. I was selfish, immature, and didn’t understand what being a Dad really meant. In those early years, my boys often chose to be around their Mom. I can’t blame them. I could be impatient, maybe even a little mean.
But I’ve learned something over the years: fatherhood is biology. Daddy is relationship.
Being a father is easy—any man can do it. But being Daddy? That takes presence, patience, and love. Scripture calls us to it: “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4). That’s not a suggestion—it’s a calling.
Do I want my kids to be little versions of me? Maybe a little. But mostly, I want them to be good men, carrying forward the best of me, their mother, their grandparents, and others who’ve shaped them—and leaving my mistakes behind. “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6).
I wasn’t a “trophy dad.” I never forced my boys to relive my glory days or chase my dreams. If one wanted to be a bodybuilder and another a ballerina, I was their biggest fan, either way. I became a Band Dad—cheering from the sidelines, celebrating their victories, helping them fail well, and watching them grow.
There are lessons I wanted them to learn beyond sports or grades: honesty, kindness, empathy, patience. “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap” (Galatians 6:7). Life is full of consequences, and teaching them to live rightly, with integrity, became my mission.
I wanted my children to come to me when things were hard—not hide. To know that Daddy is a safe place. Proverbs reminds us, “The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in people who are trustworthy” (Proverbs 12:22). This principle guided me as I modeled honesty and consistency.
Being Daddy also means showing love without conditions. My Pappaw would say, “People is people.” I taught my children the same: love and respect others, no matter their skin, background, or beliefs. Scripture is clear: “If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar” (1 John 4:20).
And above all, love God. Teach them to love God, too. “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words… shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children” (Deuteronomy 6:5-7). Fatherhood isn’t just about guiding behavior—it’s about shaping souls.
Be present. Be steady. “So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12). Life moves fast, and these moments won’t come again. Daddy shows up. He listens, comforts, instructs, and celebrates. He is both shield and cheerleader.
Being a Dad means watching your kids grow—physically, emotionally, spiritually—and most importantly, independently. It’s the feeling of knowing, “Maybe I actually did something right.”
Conclusion
Anyone can father a child. But it takes intentionality, love, and the Spirit’s guidance to be a Daddy. When we choose presence over absence, patience over anger, and truth over pride, we reflect the heart of our Heavenly Father. “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!” (1 John 3:1).
Fathers may create life. Daddies shape it. Choose to be Daddy.
Rooted & Reckoned 
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