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“The greatest gift I ever had come from God; I call him Dad!”- Anonymous.
Generally, fathers do not enjoy the same hype and euphoria like mothers do when it comes to celebrations and acknowledgements. This, many believe, is because of certain inherent characteristics which perhaps, many have overlooked.
And in the words of one father who was hit by a tragedy that had the propensity of ruining his career as Minister of the gospel, Rev. Eastwood Anaba, president of the Eastwood Anaba Ministries (EAM), he has decided to use the occasion to lend out his heart to fathers like him on Fathers Day.
“I remember a few years ago, anytime occasions such as this approached, I would reel in the ecstasy of the day like others, but ever since I became a father who experienced tragedy, I have become more sensitive to parents who on such days are reminded of their pain rather than the joy of the season”.
Fatherhood is pleasurable and rewarding
“There are many fathers who are going through a lot of pain, but I want to admonish them to know that not all is lost and their efforts are not in vain. Reach out to a child that needs a father so that together you both feel loved,” he said.
Sharing his story with The Spectator last week on the sidelines of this year’s EAM Love Revolution Conference at the Accra International Conference Centre, Rev. Eastwood Anaba, who is also the founder of the Fountain Gate Chapel, believes that fatherhood is a fulfilling treasure.
He said although he grew up with a father who was not enthusiastic about educating his children to the highest, level he and his other siblings were not denied the lessons of discipline and responsibilities of growing up.
He said fathers concede that although they are not the best when it comes to parenting, they do their best especially, “since it is not an inherent trait in them and more particularly for men of African extraction”.
“The beginning of a successful fatherhood is to begin to appreciate the role of mothers who have been successful, since fatherhood is equally a difficult role. While fathers can be good parents, mothers are that better at it,” he said.
Rev. Anaba said Fathers Day is relevant because it reminds fathers of their responsibilities towards children and gives them an opportunity to be thankful to God for giving them the opportunity.
Childhood in an animist family
As a little boy, young Eastwood recollects a situation he described as “a life being so vague that we were not living. We were only existing,” unsure of what the future held for them.
Describing part of his upbringing as a ‘merry-go-round’ life because his father was a soldier, he was quick to add that he was however, brought up under a disciplinary system with a lot of moral aptitude.
At age 12, when his father had just gone on retirement things became more difficult. Contrary to his father’s expectation that the whole family (his two wives and children) would relocate to a village settlement, his mother refused and rather stayed in Bolgatanga with her children.
“My mother would owe from borrowing gari, tomatoes, pepper etc. Her cloth would get torn and she would have to patch it because my father was not interested in what happened to us.” he said.
In 1974, when he was around 14 years, he gained admission to the Zuarungu Secondary School (now Bolgatanga Senior High) and looking to his father to sponsor it, he rather asked him to start a farm and get married.
Saddened by that development, an uncle and a teacher took up that responsibility to of taking him through school. He moved on from there to PRESEC, Legon for his Six Form and then to the School of Pharmacy at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).
A father’s greatest fear becomes a reality
Rev. Eastwood Anaba told this reporter that prior to entering secondary school, one fear his father harbored was that he could come into contact with Christianity and be converted and “of course, his fears came to pass.”
During his Sixth Form, he became born again’. According to him, this meant forgiveness of sins, a chance to go to heaven and most importantly, an opportunity to discover himself and his purpose in life. With this, his direction in life became more meaningful.
He got very involved in leadership at fellowship levels and almost immediately, his leadership potentials saw him becoming chapel keeper in the first year, vice president in the second, and in the third year, he doubled as president of the fellowship and chairman of Ghana Fellowship of Evangelical Students (GHAFES) at KNUST.
So, it was no surprise when he eventually veered into full time ministry, setting up the Northern Deliverance in Tears Ministry, what is now known as the Fountain Gate Chapel.
“The first step towards any meaningful human endeavour is an attitude of thanksgiving and that was what pushed me to return to the north to share the gospel with them. Eventually, my father converted to Christianity and we became very good friends,” he said.
Fathers Day Message
“Some people live with the pain of not having their own biological child or have lost the opportunity of fathering their own children. Whichever way it is I want you to know that in the church, at your place of work and wherever you find yourself, there are people who look up to us as fathers. Let us adopt them and invest our love in them. Remember that in the Bible, Esther was an adopted child of Modecai, Moses was an adopted child in Pharaoh’s palace. Jesus was not the biological “seed” son of Joseph”.
Some people during father’s day also are in pain because their fathers died early or that they were not looked after by their fathers. All is not lost. God gives all of us the opportunity to have a father even if adopted. You can easily adopt someone who is older and more experienced as your father.
“Therefore, the potential for fatherhood is so great and we should not limit it to a biological existence. I also encourage fathers to explore the opportunities of fatherhood and for those in pain, they should know fatherhood is a reward and one day, they shall see the travail of their toils.”
This story was first published on June 18, 2014, on achiever-freshie.blogspot.com
