Back in April, in the midst of the pandemic and lockdown, I read that Disney had started a “bedtime hotline” for children. Children could call the hotline before bed and choose to hear a reassuring message from one of their favorite Disney characters. While I wasn’t surprised by the idea, I was surprised to read some of the comments by parents expressing how these phone calls made all the difference to their children in these troubled times. Apparently, hearing from Donald Duck calmed their fears and gave them peace…Reassurance from Donald Duck? That’s like building your hope on bubbles in the wind.
There is an infinitely better way: A father initiating a “bedtime hotline” to the good, loving, Sovereign of the universe on behalf of his children. A wonderful and easy tool for assisting dads in doing this is A Father’s Guide to Blessing His Children and/or the newly released set of A Father’s Blessing Cards.
Without a doubt, one of the most significant and defining events in our children's lives occurred every night at bedtime. My husband would take Sarah and Jacob aside and have a time of prayer with them. At the end of the prayer time, he would lay a hand on each bowed head, and, using a Blessing Card, he would pray a "blessing" over them. Throughout the years, on good days and bad days, each day ended with a tired father calling out to God to bless his children. It was amazing to see how that blessing time served to calm troubled hearts and instill peace.
The impact on both father and children is immeasurable. Our children treasured that special time with their dad—and they are continuing this precious legacy with their own children. Just imagine starting a bedtime prayer and blessing routine when your children are born and continuing until they are 18 years old. That's approximately 6,570 blessings! Think of what God might be pleased to do through the short but earnest pleas of a father, calling on the heavenly Father to do in the lives of his children what only He can do!
These are exceedingly troubled times. Our children need hope and peace. Dads, you have the great privilege and sacred calling to initiate a “bedtime hotline” to Almighty God—an unshakable, unchanging, indestructible, everlasting, and all-satisfying Rock!
