Last Friday was a stunning spring day here in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales. The sun was shining, the blossoms were blooming, and my Jeep Compass was warming up for the journey down beautiful Macquarie Pass.

Video producer Glaucco Tomaz and I have been working on a new Dads4Kids podcast (coming soon to our YouTube Channel – please subscribe if you haven’t already, and make sure you have the bell clicked for notifications). There’s still lots to do, but we’re making progress and I’m looking forward to sharing the first episode in the coming weeks.

It was going to be a 45-minute trip to Albion Park on the South Coast of NSW to do some podcast filming. The Compass was picking up speed on a gentle hill, and I was about to turn up the Spotify playlist when, out of nowhere, BANG! The windscreen exploded and I was showered in small glass shards.

Thankfully, I was able to safely pull over and, after composing myself, inspected the damage.

The offending stick, most likely part of a bigger branch based on the impact area, lay innocuously in the middle of the road. I made the mistake of picking it up to remove it from the road and managed to prick my fingers on glass shards still embedded in it. Angrily, I kicked it off the pavement.

Protected

After cooling down and calling Glaucco to postpone our filming, I considered the windscreen. I spend countless hours sitting behind them driving, travelling at high speeds. Yet I rarely stop to think about the many years of trial and error, research and development that have gone into windscreens and how they make travel safe and comfortable.

According to Google, the first windscreens were introduced in the early 20^th century as a folding glass pane that protected drivers from debris and insects, though it was an optional and expensive feature. These early windscreens were made of ordinary glass and were prone to shattering, a problem that was later addressed with the invention of laminated glass by artist and chemist Édouard Bénédictus in 1903 and introduced by Henry Ford in 1919.

Last Friday, I was certainly thankful for God’s protection. If the branch had dropped differently, the outcome could have been much worse. I’m also thankful for men like Edouard Benedictus and Henry Ford, who persevered through years of hard work to make windscreens what they are today.

Imagine if hard-working, determined men had never invented tempered and laminated glass? Travelling behind annealed glass windscreens would result in regular, horrific injuries. If last Friday’s branch was to hit regular glass, I could have been writing this from a hospital bed, or worse, not writing at all.

When it comes to fathering, sometimes it’s two steps forward, one step back. Always remember, even if you get hit back a step after two steps forward, you’re still one step ahead from where you were before. Despite the setbacks, in my case a blow to the windscreen, the point is to keep on keeping on.

In the early 1970s, American singer-songwriter and musician Stevie Wonder released his funky hit “Higher Ground“. It’s a grooving track with an even groovier message. Here’s a live version guaranteed to get your toes tapping:

Since last Friday’s setback, I’ve had the song stuck in my head, encouraging me to keep on keeping on. Here are some of the lyrics:

[Verse 1] People, keep on learning
Soldiers, keep on warring
World, keep on turning
‘Cause it won’t be too long

[Verse 3] Teachers, keep on teaching
Preachers, keep on preaching
World, keep on turning
‘Cause it won’t be too long
Oh, no

[Verse 4] Lovers, keep on loving
Believers, keep on believing
Sleepers, just stop sleeping
‘Cause it won’t be too long
Oh, no

[Outro] ‘Til I reach my highest ground
No one’s gonna bring me down
Oh, no
‘Til I reach my highest ground
Don’t you let nobody bring you down
God is gonna show you highest ground
He’s the only friend you’ll have around
‘Cause the rest of the world will bring you down

With apologies to Stevie, perhaps we could improvise and add a line to one of the verses: Fathers, keep on fathering.

The world will certainly do its best to bring you down. For me, last Friday, a humble stick momentarily stopped me in my tracks. I may have been knocked down, but I am most certainly not knocked out.

The crippled Compass is back home in the driveway, awaiting a new windscreen. A dear friend has lent me one of his work vehicles in the meantime (big thanks to Andy!) As US President Abraham Lincoln said, “I am not concerned that you have fallen; I am concerned that you arise.” By God’s grace, keep on keeping on, and continue moving forward.

Lovework

Dads, keep on keeping on! If things are tough, hang in there. As Stevie sings, keep reaching for the higher ground. If you’ve already reached some higher ground, reach out your hands and help others on their way. Fathers, keep showing up for your families. You won’t regret it.

Yours for keeping on,
Nathaniel Marsh

P.S. Like so many others, the team at Dads4Kids were shocked last week by the senseless murder of the courageous Charlie Kirk. Father and regular Dads4Kids contributor Kurt Mahlburg has penned a beautiful tribute, “Charlie Kirk, Husband and Father“. In Video of the Week, we share a powerful song from Tom McDonald dedicated to Charlie.

Kirk will be missed, but his impact will continue for generations. Regardless of worldviews and where you may sit on the political spectrum, I pray that Charlie’s life and legacy encourages you to be the best husband and father you can be.

P.P.S. Thanks to the generous support of amazing Dads4Kids donors, we’re able to send you this Free Email Newsletter. If you enjoy receiving weekly inspiration and encouragement from Dads4Kids, please consider supporting Dads4Kids on a monthly basis.