上帝和父亲 God and Father

When the good Lord was creating fathers, He started with a tall frame. And a female angel nearby said, What kind of father is that? If youre going to make children so close to the ground, why have you put fathers up so high? He wont be able to shoot marbles without kneeling, tuck a child in bed without bending, or even kiss a child without a lot of stooping.

And God smiled and said, Yes, but if I make him child size, who would children have to look up to?

And when God made a father hands, they were large and sinewy.

And the angel shook her head sadly and said, Do You know what Youre doing? Large hands are clumsy. They cant manage diaper pins, small buttons, rubber bands on pony tails or even remove splinters caused by baseball bats.

God smiled and said, I know, but theyre large enough to hold everything a small boy empties from his pockets at the end of a day, and get small enough to cup a childs face.

Then God molded long, slim legs and broad shoulders.

The angel nearly had a heart attack. Boy, this is the end of the week, all right, she clucked. Do You realize You just made a father without a lap? How is he going to pull a child close to him without the kid falling between his legs?

God smiled and said, A mother needs a lap. A father needs strong shoulders to pull a sled, balance a boy on a bicycle or hold a sleepy head on the way home from the circus.

God was in the middle of creating two of the largest feet anyone had ever seen when the angel could contain herself no longer. That not fair. Do You honestly think those large boats are going to dig out of bed early in the morning when the baby cries? Or walk through a small birthday party without crushing at least three of the guests?

And God smiled and said, Theyll work. Youll see. Theyll support a small child who wants to ride a horse to Banbury Cross or scare off mice at the summer cabin, or display shoes that will be a challenge to fill.

God worked throughout the night, giving the father few words, but a firm authoritative voice; eyes that see everything, but remain calm and tolerant.

Finally, almost as an afterthought, He added tears. Then He turned to the angel and said, Now are you satisfied that he can love as much as a mother?

And the angel shutteth up!