Becoming A Good Dad

I cried.

I am not ashamed to admit it.

I cried. And not a little either.

One man, Cody, had graduated from HeartBound’s Malachi Dads program at Walker State Prison.

His fellow graduates had elected him to be the testimonial speaker for the program. He stood resolutely behind the podium, nerves steeled, brimming with confidence. He spoke with pride and clarity. A model speaker if I’ve ever seen one. He’d been taught well.

Here are his words.

“I always wanted to be a dad. I waited till I was thirty. I wanted to be a good dad, but I hadn’t prepared. I was arrested when my daughter was three months old. That was nine years ago at this point.

This class has taught us to be more patient and better listeners. Together, we are seeking God through prayer. Most importantly, we are learning to be Godly fathers.

These tests we’re undergoing are only affirmations of what God is doing for us. We are going to be the fathers our children deserve and need.”

He radiated hope. I was so proud of Cody and the men that sat before him. They’d accomplished so much. I could see brighter days ahead.

“There’s a nine-year-old little girl who’s going to get her father back some day because of this program and what you all have allowed.”

He nodded his head in my direction. My tears rained down.

Another student, Ant, stood up and shared his testimony.

“I finally got to hear my daughter say, ‘Dad, you are a good father.’ She said that she was proud of me. It took me 31 years to hear those words. I got locked up when she was 15 months old.”

You made this possible. You. Whether you’ve donated $10 or $10,000 to HeartBound, whether you prayed for 10 minutes or 10 hours, whether you volunteered once or 10 times, you, you made this possible. You all make our programs, make moments like this, possible.

I hope you cry too.

Thank you and God bless.