I never saw my father dunk a basketball
and he never became a CEO
But I saw him live by what he believed
which showed me what was important for my life
I never saw my father hit a home run
and he never held a public office
But I saw him serve his wife, children, church, country…
which showed me that life was about something more than myself
I never saw my father make his first million
and we never lived in a mansion
But I never knew what it was like to miss a meal
which showed me the difference between wants and needs
My father wasn’t born with a silver spoon in his mouth
and he never won the lottery
But I saw my parents build a life for their family, with little or no help from anyone
which taught me that where you come from is no excuse
I never saw my father’s name in the headlines
and he never made a highlight reel
But I watched him support others and be a team player
which showed me that secure people don’t need the spotlight
I never saw my father lift a weight
and he never made the Olympics
But I saw him be committed & work hard at every endeavor
which showed me that strength has more to do with character than muscle
I never saw my father receive his degree
and he was never deemed a Scholar
But I saw him lead his family through the good and bad times
which showed me that wisdom isn’t what you say, but how you live
I never saw my father paint a picture
and he never wrote a song
But I saw him cry & say “I Love You”
which let me know that it was OK for a man to do that
I never saw my father overpower anyone
and he wasn’t much for intimidation
But I saw him be patient when others struggled
which showed me that exposing others weaknesses, doesn’t make you strong
I never saw my father in the pulpit
and he wasn’t one to quote you scripture
But I saw him pray to God
which showed me that God was real & that I needed Him too
I never saw my father run a marathon
and he never climbed Mount Everest
But I saw him endure a cruel terminal illness with grace and perseverance
which taught me that you have to keep running until you cross the finish line
My father wasn’t above losing his temper
and I saw him take some missteps along the way
But I heard him say “I’m sorry” & watched him learn from his mistakes
which showed me the way I needed to handle my failures
My parents didn’t have a perfect marriage
and I can’t say that there was never a struggle
But I watched them stay together for 48 years
which taught me that love is like a garden & it requires regular tending
I have often disregarded my father’s advice
and I have many times made disappointing choices
But he never made me feel like a disappointment & loved me anyway
which taught me about the love & forgiveness of a father (& “Our Father”)
As I reflect on my father’s life, I realize that he was never what this world tells you that you “need” to be, but that he was in fact what God made him to be. If my father had been rich or famous, I doubt that I would have learned so much and I know that my life wouldn’t have been better. Reflecting on my fathers life shows me that I shouldn’t waste time worrying about what I’m not and what I don’t have, but to make the most of everything that I’ve been given. At the end of my life, I would be pleased if it could be said of me that, “he was a loving, committed husband, father, brother, son, friend…”; “you could always count on him”; “he loved God and tried to live for Him”; “he served his family, his church, his country…”; “he made a difference in my life”. I guess for me it would just be easier to say, “he was just like his father”. Yes, that would please me.
That was so awesome. God has truly given a gift to be able to describe the important things in life, “the abundant life” keep it up and thank you guys for being a blessing to our family. Congrats on the blog. Anita you share so much of who God is without saying a word. I am happy for you guys. Mary