Courageous

I'd hear about this movie before & how it's a good movie, especially for Father's Day. 

Well, I finally watched it yesterday - and it spoke to me very clearly.

It's about 4 men (law enforcement officers) who find out what it really means to be Leaders, Fathers, Men.

Adam Mitchell (Alex Kendrick) - learns what being a father is all about

Nathan Hayes (Ken Bevel) - my favourite character; will be referring more to this character below

Shane Fuller (Kevin Downes) - learns about what being a leader entails

David Thomson (Ben Davies) - learns about being a man

Ken Bevel's character Nathan is who I really admired from the beginning of the movie. Why? He was (compared to the other 3 characters) almost the perfect Dad.

He would risk his life for his children.

He was protective of his family, especially his coming-of-age daughter.

He was firm in his faith and he practiced what he preached.

The only thing he was struggling with was forgiveness for his biological father who left even before he was born. Totally understandable - and even this he overcame towards the end of the movie.

But what I really really loved was how he treated his daughter - like a precious treasure that is to be guarded and only given to another man (in marriage) who loves God and her, in that order. His daughter, being a teen, of course felt he was being overly protective/strict/unreasonable/etc at first, until he showed her why he was doing what he did - because he loves her.

I found myself wishing that I have that kind of relationship with my dad. Don't get me wrong. I know my dad loves me (though he never said it - Asian dad, you know) and he does his best to provide for me. But he doesn't talk much and I don't have that "I am my Dad's Princess" kind of father-daughter relationship in those formative years of my youth. But I am grateful that he is my dad and I love him.

And while no human father can be the Perfect Father (but only God alone), that is the standard that we should strive for. And even before a boy becomes a father, he has to first and foremost by that standard, become a man of God.

"The duty of every man is to uphold the dignity of every woman." - Saint Pope John Paul II

I pray, that while God has not yet brought us together, that you are right now living your life, as best you can, as a man of God. As I also on my part, am learning everyday to go through life as God wants me to. For I am God's precious treasure that is to be guarded and my Heavenly Father will only give me to a man (in marriage) who loves Him and me, in that order. :)