A Father's Gift of Integrity-Father Day

A Father's Gift of Integrity- Father's Day

The rejection email glowed on Tory's laptop screen like a neon sign of failure. "We've decided to go with another candidate." He closed it—the third one this month—and rubbed his tired eyes. At forty-two, starting over felt like climbing Everest in flip-flops.

The winter morning light filtered weakly through his study window as he reached for his worn Bible, seeking something—anything—to quiet the storm in his chest. His fingers found Micah, and there it was, verse 8, underlined years ago in different ink, from a different season of his life:

"He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?"

The words hit him like cool water on fevered skin. For weeks, he'd been wrestling with the big questions that follow us through life's valleys: What does God actually want from me? How do I stay faithful when everything feels uncertain?

He remembered his friend Cecil's words over coffee last month: "Jesus made it simple, man. Love God, love people. Everything else is just details."

Tory smiled despite himself. The prophets had been saying it all along—God wants our hearts, not our performance. Hosea's ancient words whispered in his memory: "I desire mercy, not sacrifice." Not the perfect résumé, not the flawless track record, just a heart bent toward what matters.

Today was Father's Day, and his sons Justin and Joash would be home from university soon. Both bright, both questioning, both watching him navigate this season of professional disappointment. What would he tell them? How could he explain why their dad was "between opportunities" again?

Then it struck him: his struggle was the gift.

The Compass That Never Fails

By evening, when the boys arrived with takeout pizza and sheepish grins, Tory had found his words. They gathered in the living room, the same space where he'd read them bedtime stories years ago. "Boys," he began, his voice carrying the weight of lived experience, "I want to tell you something about the three things that will never let you down."

He opened his Bible to Micah 6:8 and read it aloud, then looked up at their expectant faces.

"Do justice. This isn't about big, world-changing stuff. It's about being fair to your roommate when splitting bills, speaking up when someone's being picked on, treating your future employees with dignity, you know Paul put it this way: 'Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness but rather expose them.' Sometimes justice is as simple as refusing to laugh at the cruel joke."

Joash nodded thoughtfully. "Or like when you turned down that contract because they wanted you to pay them back a portion of your hard-earned wages?"

"Exactly my lad, replied to Tory. It cost us financially, but I sleep better at night."

"Love kindness." Tory's voice softened. "The mercy God shows me every morning—especially on days like today when I feel like a failure-that's the same mercy I need to show others. Your classmates, your future coworkers, the barista having a rough day. We love kindness because we've been shown kindness."

"Walk humbly." He leaned forward, connecting with each son's eyes. "This one's saved my life more times than I can count. Humility isn't thinking you're worthless-it's remembering you're not God. It's knowing that your identity isn't tied to your job title or your bank account. When I walk humbly, I remember that even in rejection, even in uncertainty, God is still working His plan."

The room felt quiet except for the gentle hum of the heater. Justin, ever the practical one, finally spoke: "So.. you’re, okay? With all this career stuff?" Tory smiled, feeling lighter than he had in weeks. "I'm learning to be. Because these three things-justice, kindness, humility--they're not dependent on my circumstances. They're my calling whether I'm employed or unemployed, successful or struggling."

A Legacy Worth Giving

As his sons headed to bed that night, Tory reflected on the unexpected gift of this Father's Day. He hadn't given them a wrapped present or sage advice about career success. Instead, he'd offered them something more valuable: a compass that points true north regardless of life's storms.

The rejection emails would keep coming, the uncertainty would linger, but Tory knew now what his friend Cecil meant. Love God, love people—and trust that when we do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly, we're walking the path that leads to life itself. Some gifts are only fully appreciated years later. But integrity? That's a gift that keeps giving, from one generation to the next.

To all the fathers like me across the globe, I’d like to leave you with a thought- In your current season whether marked by success or struggle, how might God be calling you to embody justice, kindness, and humility? What legacy of integrity are you building for those who look up to you or are you also caving into the vicious cycle for a fleeting time gain?

Courtesy -The above image painted by the Wayfarer's beloved wife -SD who is his strength and inspires him to stay hopeful in Yahweh , their God from Eternity to Eternity