Brothers and Fellow Dads and Granddads:

This afternoon I find myself reflecting on the legacy I received from an absent father and the kind of legacy I'm leaving my three adult children and two granddaughters. In doing so, I recalled a story told by Michael Reagan about his father, which I wanted to share with you on this Father's Day weekend.        

Michael is the son of the 40th President of the United States, Ronald Reagan, who I had the privilege and honor to work for for eight years. Michael received many gifts from his father but at the President's sunset funeral on June 9, 2004 Michael described the greatest gift a child can receive from their father:

"I was so proud to have the Reagan name and to be Ronald Reagan's son. What a great honor. He gave me a lot of gifts as a child - gave me a horse, gave me a car, gave me a lot of things. But there's a gift he gave me that I think is wonderful for every father to give every son.  

"Last Saturday, when he opened his eyes for the last time...that's when I realized the gift that he gave to me: that he was going to be with his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He had - back in 1988 on a flight from Washington, D.C. to Point Mugu - told me about his love of God, his love of Christ as his Savior. I didn't know then what it all meant. But I certainly, certainly know now.

"I can't think of a better gift for a father to give a son. And I hope to honor my father by giving my son, Cameron, and my daughter, Ashley, that very same gift he gave to me.

"Knowing where he is this very moment, this very day, that he is in heaven, I can only promise my father this: Dad, when I go, I will go to heaven, too. And you and I and my sister, Maureen, who went before us, we will dance with the heavenly host of angels before the presence of God. We will do it melanoma and Alzheimer's free. Thank you for letting me share my father, Ronald Wilson Reagan."

Living in and for Christ Jesus is the gift I too am leaving my kids. And while my father was absent for almost my entire life, toward the end of his life he became a follower of Christ and he died in faith. Because of that, this one thing I now know for sure. My Dad will be a bigger part of my future than he ever was of my past!  

Happy Father's Day Brothers

Dave

Dave Brown
Director and Pastor-at-Large
Washington Area Coalition of Men's Ministries (WACMM)
Chairman, Foundation for Manhood
10309 Freeman Place
Kensington MD 20895
240.447.1363
dave@wacmm.org
www.wacmm.org
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