Things he taught me…

It is Father’s Day today, and after attending our 9:00 service this morning, giving my dad a new fishing pole (and money for a fishing license) then eating out with the whole family, I came back to rest a bit at my place of house sitting.

Now, I’m sitting here in my “bachelor pad” contemplating over the past 20 years that I have had with my dad and what he has taught me in them. Obviously there have been times that we have had differences (which is just a nice word for arguments) but it is a great joy to look back at what he has taught me.

In Fishing

I can’t remember the last time I went fishing (I plan to do some this summer) but I remember some good times learning how (which meant learning how to get the line out of the tree). In bringing my siblings and me fishing, my dad (whether he knew it or not) was teaching us persistence. If we went for a long while without a bite, we would usually go to a different spot and press on. But only time stopped us. At the end of the day, it was only because it was time to go that we went home- never because we couldn’t catch anything but trees!

In Singing

Ever since before I was born, my dad has been in a Gospel quartet. My sister and I would go along almost every weekend to his concerts to listen and hang out with the old people. Here, I learned how to sing. Later, I became a Rodie for the group. In that, I learned what hard work was. It took patience, strength, persistence, and joy to be able to do a good job. And always in these concerts, I was paying attention to what the guys were singing. This was a classroom not just of music, but also the Bible. I learned much of God by listening and watching.

In organization

In his quartet, he is the one that keeps in touch with all the Churches, has the emails, plans the concert schedule, etc. And at home, well, lets just say, you don’t leave anything on the sideboard if you want to see it again! He loves cleaning and keeping things organized. I picked this up as I was growing (and some of my friends hate it!). It came in pretty handy this past summer when I went to China. I was the one organizing the trip, and (with much blushing on my part) was told that I was the best communicator out of all the bands that my friends there had to schedule in. I owe both of my parents for this!

In being a husband… and father

I am not yet either of these, but, I hope to be soon. And when that happens, I am going to look back at my dad and see what kind of husband he is to my mom and father he is to my siblings and me. I will be able to learn from his mistakes and grow to be more like Christ in my marriage and like God in my fathering.

So, all that to say- thanks dad!

Without you, I would be lacking patience, persistence, and an earthly model of marriage and fatherhood. I also would probably have no amount of OCD (yes, that would be a bad thing!) or musical ability.

I praise God for what he has done in giving me both of my parents, they have been a great blessing over the years, and I look forward to learning from them for however long God has ordained that they be around!