The Heart of a Father

The Heart of a Father

The cold weather of February is now a distant memory, but the warm memories of seeing fathers and sons playing together at this year’s Father Son Bowl lingers still!

2016 was the 10th year anniversary for the FSB and JMI has had the privilege of being an annual recipient of a significant portion of the net proceeds since it became a community event.  That funding – $4000 this year! – is used to support orphaned, abandoned and destitute children in our “Boys2Leaders” transitional living program in Moldova where “The Commish,” Darin Clark, has served on several mission trips.

If you’re not from mid-Tennessee and haven’t heard of it, the Father Son Bowl is an annual flag football game for fathers and sons of all ages.  For many, it is a “can’t miss event,” with simultaneous games – friendly games! – being played across eight fields.  The Bowl occurs every year on the Saturday before the Super Bowl.  In addition to the games themselves, Darin and Rolling Hills Community Church pastor, Jeff Simmons, give the participants an inspirational “pep talk” about the value of a father’s relationship with his son.  The event is made all the more memorable with large tents for registration and gathering, a Skill Zone challenge area, smoke machines and confetti canons and golf carts for transporting players and fans.

When the birth of Zechariah’s son, John the Baptist, was foretold, an angel informed him that one of John’s assignments would be “to turn the hearts of the fathers back to their children” (Luke 1:17b).  We have seen firsthand in Moldova what it looks like when fathers’ hearts are preoccupied with lesser things.  There are few things in this world that can mutilate a child’s spirit any more completely than an absent father.  Unfortunately, it is the children who suffer most when a father’s heart is not set on his family first and foremost.

JMI celebrates the mission, faithfulness and spirit of Darin and Caree Clark and their sons, Noah, Caleb, Jacob and Micah.  We are so honored to be associated with an organization like the Father Son Bowl!

P.S.  If you would like to talk to Darin about the possibility of organizing a Father Son Bowl event in your area or as an outreach of your church, please contact [email protected].