Dad you were
diagnosed with Cancer in September and by late December you were gone. Even though it has only been a few hours
since I sat next to you and told you good bye.
I am still hurting inside. I know
that the rock that I leaned on all of my life is gone and I will now have to
make it on my own. I know I still have
Cathy, the kids, Mom, and my brothers to lean on but they can not replace the
special bond a son has for his father.
You have left this world for Heaven a better place I know, but you did
not leave the world void. You have
taught me many things which will help me to make it through now without
you.
Dad you taught me
that there is more to this world than just Linton. You were a man who loved to travel and
explore. And I know if you were born in
a time long past you would have roamed the seas or climbed the mountains just
because you had the itch in you to see what was out there. That itch is in me and it is something I will
treasure. You showed me the beauty of
this land and that it is not the destination but that it is the getting there
that is the most fun.
Dad you showed me how
to serve others. You ran two restaurants
and lived by the concept of the customer always being right. I worked hard in both those places and served
many a person. I look back at that time
and found that learning to serve others is what God wants out of all of
us. You taught this to me early on, but
it has not been very many years back that I found out that serving is what my
gift from God really is. For this dad I
say thanks.
Dad you showed me patience in the way you raised my brothers and
I. You let us all try to stand on our
own, but you always were there if we needed a hand getting up when we
fell. Dad do you remember when you took
us all to Canada fishing? All of us in one boat. Six lines trolling at once. Catching more snags than fish, but every once
in awhile a fish would be caught. Now
that was patience dad. It is that type
of patience I have needed when speaking from the pulpit. I know the lines are out, but sometimes I
need to wait to see if a catch is made for the Lord. Your patience is with me Dad and I hope it
always will be.
You showed me that your home was OK, but there was a time when I needed
to leave and to make my way in the world.
But I always knew you and mom would be watching me wherever I went.
Dad you taught me to
overcome. You taught me that a man with
only one thumb still could do anything he wanted. You never hid it or made excuses for missing
a thumb. You never called it a
disability. For you dad it was a
challenge that you met and conquered in your life. I can still recall the time when I was a
junior in high school. One of my friends
approached me and asked ‘When did your dad lose his thumb?’ And I told him the story and he said he never
really noticed it was missing until recently.
You overcame that which others would call a hardship. I hope to be just as good at overcoming the
obstacles in my life as you have shown me dad.
Dad you taught me right
from wrong early on in my life. You
taught me that there are not shades of gray when it comes to doing right. I guess this comes out mostly in my sermons
dad and for that I am grateful.
And finally dad the
most important thing you taught me was to know the Lord. We went to church as a family for many years
and the seed was planted. Over the
years that seed has been watered and cultivated. I now view Christ as the center of my life
and it is all because you and mom took me to church and ensured that I knew
what the Bible said. The reason this is
the most important is because it is through Christ that you and I will see each
other again. You rededicated your life
to Christ not long ago and I know that your acknowledgment of Him before men is
what was truly needed in your life. That
walk you took down the isle was the cure for your cancer. I hope you are having good talks with all
those that have gone before you and that you are exploring heaven for yourself,
because I will need a tour guide when I get there and I know of no one better
to show me the beauty of Heaven.
Missing
you very much
Your Son
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