My father passed away eight years ago.  He was a good man with a great sense of humor, a strong work ethic, a guiding hand and a loving heart. He rarely expressed his emotions which was very common for men at that time. Whatever happened, you dealt with it with a stiff upper lip, didn’t talk about it, grieved in silence and moved on, keeping all of it to yourself.

At his memorial service the pastor’s message was very personal and perfect for my dad. He described him with five words that began with the letter F.  They were family man, father, farmer, fast driver and most important of all, faithful. All five words depicted his life, the first three as an adult, the fourth word as a teenager and the last word, his life-long relationship with the Lord. It was a spot-on depiction of his life.

We were blessed to have experienced and learned from my father being a family man, a father, a farmer and a faithful follower of God. When we came along, his teenage days of being a fast driver were in the rear-view mirror so to speak. We only heard the tales of those days from his high school friends.

We were blessed to have been raised in a wholesome, safe and loving environment where being honest, a helpful neighbor, a good citizen, a hard worker and a faithful servant of the Lord were valued and taught in the way we lived.

Our Father in heaven expects these things from us as well. Like our fathers and mothers, He loves us unconditionally and shows that love to us in all He does for us every day. We can feel safe and loved by Him as well. He offers to take care of us, to protect us, and to guide us. We need to believe in Him and what He promises. Thanks be to God for His love and for the love of our earthly fathers.  Happy Father’s Day in heaven, Dad!

Patty