A Fathers Love

This evening my Dad called as he was driving home from work.  He called just to ask us ladies ( mom and three sisters)  whether we wanted any treats.  We went on to list off an order of our  personal choices.  "Chocolate,  milk chocolate, with no nuts." "  Sugar free taffy, the pink kind, not the red." " Ice tea,  that one is the special bottle" " Black Licorice." " Dad get something salty, whatever you think would be good, but not chips, or anything like that, healthy salty!"   An hour later he came home with everything on the list.  We then made him endure a cheesy horror film, as we chatted about the bad 90's clothing.   I looked over at my Dad mid way through the movie, and couldn't help but feel loved.  I have spent a lot of my life oblivious to what a wonderful father I have.  I used to always judge him by other fathers I saw.  In my mind he came up short, not making enough money, not having a very glamorous job, or just being overall too religious.  The last five or so years I have been becoming aware of what an incredible man he is, and how blessed I am.   My Dad is the best example of having a servant heart.  His "less than glamorous" job was what he did to provide for us instead of doing what he was really passionate about.  He has always taken on extra jobs, extra hours just to make sure we could be taken care of. This included him making the choice to sell his truck so he could send me to New York on a school trip.  Or sending me $1000 dollars they couldn't afford each month so that I could chase my dreams of  going to a performing arts collage.  This same "overly religious" father  taught me how to forgive people there worst mistakes.  Like the time he came home to me drunk from drinking all his special birthday beer.  I was 13  and my family left me behind to go to a movie ( I was taking too long to get ready).  I was so mad I had to do something  extra bad, so I grabbed a case of my Dads beer and drank one after the other.  A few minutes after I was finished my Dad walked in our front door.  He apologized for being impatient and leaving me behind.  Then he asked if he could make it up to me by taking me out on a date. I hiccuped and started crying in my drunken stupor " Dad, I drank all your beer and now I'm drunk, *hiccup*".  He gave me a huge hug than took his drunk little daughter out for ice cream!  I  have never forgotten how loved I felt from my dad, he never brought it up again.   My father taught me how to love God more than anything else in your life.  He taught me to always offer the best to others.  He taught me that a great way to care for people is to ask them about their lives and talk to them about what their interests.  My father was always ready to serve my mom in any way needed. He has always honored my mom with his words and actions. I have never questioned his unshakable love for her.   My dad has many more wonderful attributes (along some not so nice ones, no one is perfect) and I am so happy God decided to allow me to be his daughter.   I write all of this so that if you are reading it you can decide to value the people in your life.  There might be someone who you have struggled loving or feeling loved by.  A family member who always gets on your nerves, or a friend who has recently let you down.  Maybe your married and the grass is looking greener on the other side.  But take some time and ask God to show you what he sees in the people who surround your life.  Ask him to show you the good qualities and to have more grace for the bad.  Ask the Lord to heal your past hurts and to help you forgive others mistakes.  You might just find yourself falling in love all over again with the people in your life!

“Appreciation is a wonderful thing. It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well.” ~ Voltaire

"This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you." John 15:12-15 New King James Version Bible