True Father

I've been reading this book, "Fathered By God" (Authored by John Eldredge), and I found myself totally broken by the time I got to the second chapter. The book is as simple as the title, how God is our true Father and how we, as men, cry out to Him to be present in our lives.
I have been spending my free time at my church doing some much needed landscaping. I have been pulling weeds, pruning trees, mulching, and planting flowers since the beginning of September. I thought this would be a good way to serve and give back to the church that has done so much for me. I have also been using this time to connect with God. To do some spiritual soul searching. To just listen to what He has to say to me. It has been an awesome time of reflection. During this time, I was reminded of how much I enjoy my new interest of reading books. So, I made a visit to my local book store and stumbled across the book that I mentioned above. John Eldredge is a wonderful author. I read his book "Wild At Heart" four times over the summer and even used it to encourage me when I went to Honduras this past April.
So, why was I totally broken by the second chapter? John has a wonderful way of setting the mood and describing what his childhood was like. He is not much older than I and has shared some similar experiences that I once lived so long ago. A time before computers and cell phones. A time when boys would spend their time looking for adventures in their own back yards.
John Eldredge's father was a traveling salesman. John would go on a lot of business trips with his dad across most of the western states. They spent their weekends camping and fishing. That kind of bonding is so important for a father and son. Boys get so much from their daddy's, just by hanging out together. It made me think of all of the simple moments I spent alone with my daddy and that is when I broke down. I put my book down and just sat in my car, listening to the rain hitting the roof, balling like a baby. I miss my daddy. I have since the day that I left for the military twenty years ago. We only live two hours apart, but I never get to see him because of the busy season of life that I am in as being a dad myself. After a few minutes of crying like a baby, I picked up my cell phone and called my daddy. As soon as he answered I blurted out "Hi dad, I just wanted to call to say that I love you and that you are a great dad". Then we talked for a few minutes, mostly to explain why I called and about my brother's new baby. When we were done, we hung up, and that hurt. Like I said, I miss my daddy.
That's where God comes in. Our dads that raised us as boys to be men can only "Father" us for so long. When we go out into the world looking for adventure, we have to seek God as our True Father. It is His job to get us the rest of the way. Sure, our dads will always be our dads, but there is only so much that they can do to enter us into manhood. The rest is up to our Father in Heaven, but He can only help us if we allow Him to guide us through our temporary time on earth.
I realized that I need to be a dad as well. I need to interact with my boys more often. I need to take them camping or fishing or throw the ball with them more often. Sitting on the couch watching cartoons doesn't really count. I need to teach them and prepare them for their journeys. I need to get them to the manhood stage so that when they do go out on their adventures, they'll know who they are, and they'll know that they have to start connecting with God.
I want my boys to have great memories of how their daddy spent time with them, but most of all, I want them to know that their daddy is man who loves God. Their daddy is a man that turns to God when he needs fatherly advice. Their daddy is a man who trusts and depends on the Lord to get him through all of life's trials.
If you are a dad with boys, how will you prepare them for manhood? What kind of adventures will you take them on? What kind of memories do you want them to have of your time spent together? What kind of memories do you have of your daddy? How did he prepare you for manhood? If he didn't, do you look to God as your Father? If not, why?