Matt Hammitt, lead singer of Sanctus Real and author of  I Couldn’t Love You More ,  shares a poem he wrote about fatherhood and the struggles fathers can face as they try to “lead through actions, not just intentions, Spiritual servants, emotionally present.” Happy Father’s Day! 

Good Intentions
by Matt Hammitt

I wanted to be a good leader, husband, father, and friend,
But when I heard my family cry, “Lead me,” I wasn’t sure what to do next.
I always had good intentions, knew what I should do and could be,
But I felt stuck on the treadmill of life and work,
Lost in ideas and dreams.

As time went on through some difficult lessons,
I started to clearly see that my good intentions without any actions,
Were worthless to everyone but me.

My good intentions were a seed without soil,
With nowhere or way to grow.

My good intentions were a car without wheels,
With no way of getting down the road.

I used to say never stop dreaming,
And maybe that’s still a good thing,
But there’s no point in dreaming,
If you never start doing,
Cause without doing, nothing can change.

So I took the intentions in my head and my heart,
Started using my hands to build a home,
Make a mark.

I scheduled time to be together,
Create moments,
Cultivate laughter,
Read God’s Word,
Teach and learn.

Pray with each other,
Become a better listener,
Spend quality time, not just talk about it,
Face a hard issue instead of skating around it.

Raising a family,
Building a home,
Creating a safe place to be loved and known.

I’m just one little house, but imagine a world,
where daddies were always there for their girls.
They silenced their phones and shut out the noise,
To focus on wrestling through life with their boys.
Leading through actions, not just intentions,
Spiritual servants, emotionally present.
Imagine a world where every child felt loved,
Where women weren’t lonely ‘cause they felt understood.
A world where families stayed together,
The fabric of culture grew stronger and better,
Less about me, more about us,
Sacrificially building a home with true love.