if you don't know already i am abundantly blessed by so many amazing men in my life! first and foremost, my dad, who undoubtedly was the first and only man in my life for SO many years! and he, he loved me first. second, my brothers who thru word and deed encouraged me to believe my true value and not allow myself to settle for a life time of heart ache. they never would allow my ego to grow too big, and they never allowed my self loathing to last too long. third, a gracious, kind, and very gentle father-in-law who raised, guided, and befriended the wonderful man who now i claim as my own beloved! these men deserve to be celebrated each and every day all year long!
but this year i can't get my daddy off my mind. i can't help but feeling totally overwhelmed when i think of the deep, deep, well of appreciation, admiration, respect, and the unmoving-undivided love that as his daughter, will live on into eternity.
for as far back as i can remember i have been drawn to my dad. there has never been a time in my life that i didn't want to be with him. there was this really special season when all the other kids had grown up and moved on, and mom and dad had nothing better to do than follow me around from sports event to sports event, from school event to school event. :) endless hours i spent with him singing funny songs from 98.1 KUDL, talking sports, discussing theology, arguing worship styles, practicing sermon illustrations, divulging youth group woes and best of all.... drinking in gallons of love. he was, and is a CONSTANT source of life giving love!
even with the fierce temptation of our culture to have an adulterous love affair with the church in the name of "full time ministry", dad drew his line in the sand and repeatedly told us through his actions and in his words, "i choose YOU! i choose this family!" he was a child of God first, husband second, a father third, and a shepherd of the church last.
i first fell in love with my Savior by seeing Him lived out in the daily life of my daddy!
there is no exaggerating the influence my dad has had on my heart, my life, my marriage, and most importantly on my personal walk with Jesus!
even in the most painful storm of his life my daddy, without hesitation, exudes the type of love that most people will never experience on this earth. an out of this world kind of love!
i guess that's why i just can't get him off my mind.
happy father's day daddy!
~s
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