My Father

Some of us have had the blessing of growing up with a wonderful father. My father was a great example of what Father God looks like. In 1960 my mother was pregnant with twin boys who later she lost in delivery, one stillborn, and the other only lived a few minutes. A year later she conceived and gave birth to my sister with no complications. My parents were relieved to finally have a child regardless of gender. So a couple of years later when my mother got pregnant again, what do you think my dad wished for-boy or girl? A boy, of course! Well, that’s when I was born.

My dad would often say, “I love my two girls.” He was very proud of us and very grateful that we could take care of the house, cook, etc. whenever my mother wasn’t feeling well. (I think most men like to be taken care of!) My father was a true family man, taking us along on business trips, going to the beach, even becoming a Girl Scout. Yes, he was a card-carrying, living, breathing Girl Scout, as was my mom. They were leaders of Troop 70 from the Westside of Jacksonville and they did everything. Camping, cooking, skating, hiking, anything to help us all get our merit badges.

One time on a camping trip a few of the girls got in a little trouble so my dad made them string vines around some trees, interlace palm fronds in them, dig a hole and make an outside private latrine. It was supposed to be a form of punishment but the girls actually had quite a bit of fun doing this! That was my dad, always involved, always “with you”.

As a high school student I was in the band, a mallet player in the drum section, and we had to go to all the football games and march the halftime shows. Well, guess who was at every game rain or shine? Guess who helped load the buses, work the car washes, sell the candy bars and cheer at the competitions? Yep, my dad. He didn’t even like football.

What my dad loved was music and sailing. Those became my passions too, perhaps because I adored my father and wanted to be just like him. He was a hero to me. He made us work for our grades rewarding us not with money, but the satisfaction of knowing we’d accomplished and achieved something worthwhile. He was loving and caring, staying up late waiting for my sister to come home from a date, gently leaning over my shoulder and helping me with homework, allowing us to “build” things with all the scrap wood from his workshop.

As a teenager I remember him giving advice, but never being harsh or demanding that we do things his way. He would always say, “If you ask me…….but that’s just my opinion”, letting us know his advice but giving us the freedom to chose for ourselves conveying that he trusts and doesn’t judge. Even in college I would invite many of my crazy musician friends out for a day of sailing and he would accept them and befriend them also, even when they brought their beer (he was a teetotaler!) and he knew a few of them did drugs. He loved them just like he did me.

As I got older and moved out of the house he would tell me, “Always know you have a place here if you need it.” I knew I always had a home, a safe place to run to. This established such security for me, both materially and emotionally. 

In 1994 my father passed away after battling colon cancer for several years. I had been saved as a child and related well to Father God having had such a great example of who He was, but I had a transfer to make now that my earthly father was gone. I always knew my dad would be there for me, helping me, encouraging me but he was physically gone now. So in going through all the stages of grief, I began the journey of seeing my Heavenly Father as closer than even my earthly father could have ever been.

Being in the ministry for 10 years now, our lives go up and down quite frequently, as does the income, the opportunities and the emotions. There are real needs and we have a real teenager! But deep in my soul I know that Father will provide, Father will be there, Father will take care of me. The little girl of years ago who walked the docks with her father, who sat side-by-side on the piano with him, and who was privileged to be given to her husband by; this little girl knows it’s all going to be okay-Father will always take care of me.

Do you know your Father like this? You can. He’s with you always; He’ll never leave or forsake you (Heb.13:5). He never even thinks a negative thought about you (Jer.29:11). I pray that you too can find Him this way-trusting, caring, loving, providing, gentle, and safe-because He is.