I’ve been a dad for 17 years.

I may be the only one, but I feel like there’s a message to dads that can often be missing. Between the messages of fatherly wisdom passed down for generations and the not-doing-enough message, I believe we need a word of encouragement for us dads who either never had a fatherly example of our own or if we did have an example, it wasn’t a great one.

For me, I had a bad one. To my dad’s credit, he was a hard worker who provided for his family and was never a violent man. But he drank for many years, was notoriously unfaithful to his wife and strongly committed to ignoring his two sons in every aspect of their upbringing.

Does this father sound familiar to you?

He’s certainly not the kind of guy who’s going to take you fishing and teach you homespun lessons on life. Some of you may not even know your dad – or barely know him – at best.

Yet here you are. You are a husband and a father. You are a provider. You didn’t have someone teach you how to be a loving husband. You learned how important it was to be a supportive partner. You have made sure your wife knows she’s loved.

In my opinion, 90% of being a good dad is just showing up when stuff happens. You work all day and you’re tired, but when there’s a game or recital, you’re there. Your kids don’t have to wonder if Dad is going to show up because Dad always shows up.

“Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave; never will I forsake you.’” – Hebrews 13:5

Fathers, we are called to be more than a paycheck. We must be present. What a relief it is to know the God of the universe is always with us and what a relief it is to your family you are always with them.

In addition, we have the ultimate Father to look to and heed advice from when we feel like we’re left without an example here on Earth. Your path may not be an easy one, but God is with you.

Here’s to you, dads.

Written by Nik Holman, marketing specialist and project manager for Buckner International.