Happy Father's Day

My father passed away April of this year and it has been life - altering for me. I am thankful to God for this man for many reasons. As stated in previous blogs, my parents divorced when I was young. We did not hear from our dad for years. He came back into our life in our early adult years and we received him. When he became sick, we stood by him. Now he is deceased and we mourn him. He may not have been the best dad, but he is the one God gave me. He was the one who gave me his last name and provided for me when I was a helpless infant not able to care for myself. He gave me shelter, clothes on my back and nourishment. As far as I am concerned, my dad served Gods purpose in my life. I often hear of people being angry at their father for not being in their life and blaming their father for how their life turned out. The truth is your parents gave you life and anything else you want out of this world is up to you. I know how it feels to have an absentee father, but more importantly, I know the ever present love of a Heavenly Father who will never leave you nor forsake you. This is His promise and He always keeps His word. If you have unforgiveness in your heart towards your father, the best thing to do is to forgive him. Forgiving your father does not excuse him for not being there. Forgiveness is for you so that you can be free to live your life and live it to the glory of God. You are no longer helpless. Who knows the circumstances that shaped your father’s life. Perhaps he didn’t have a good example of a father. I’m not making excuses, I’m only saying people are human and they make mistakes.

My dad came to know Jesus in his latter years. He loved going to church and was active in helping senior citizens, participating on the usher board, men’s ministry and so much more. At his funeral, the pastor shared the last conversation he had with my dad which was a week before he passed away. He told the pastor he was going to take home the Memorial Board to tighten up a few screws and polish it up a bit. The Memorial Board is a board where the names of deceased church members are listed so they are not forgotten and is displayed in the church entry way. The board was donated by my dad after the original board was filled. Little did my dad know that his name would be next to go on the Memorial Board. We found the Memorial Board in the trunk of his car and returned it back to the church. I am thankful to God for reconciling my dad back to his children and to Himself. There is peace in my heart today because I know where my dad is. He is with Jesus.

Celebrate your father this Father’s Day.

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