My earthly father passed over to the heavenly side in October of 2001. While it was sad, it was glorious. My mom, sister, sister-in-law, and two of my brothers and I were all in the room with him when he left us. There is strength in that. In some ways it reminded me of being in the room when my children were born. There is a change in balance at that point. Yet, in this instance he simply left pain and moved from being in God's hand in this earth to being in God's hand in heaven.
My father was orphaned at birth. Adopted immediately, he had parents who loved him, yet stayed together only a short time. Along the journey, he spent time with a step-father, who was cruel and inhumane. At nine, his mother passed. He remembered her well and with great love. The next six years were spent living back and forth with relatives. His adoptive father passed when Dad was in his teens. At that time, my dad was already working as a man. At 15 he entered the army and celebrated his 17th birthday face down in a land mine on the sand of Normandy beach, 3 months after DDay. He fought on the front lines until the end of WWII and through the Korean conflict. Two bronze stars and many physical and emotional scars later, he began a family of which I am a part.
I am glad he is at rest. I am thankful for the investment of life and love he place in me. I am determined to take of the determination and zest for life that he invested in me and build into others.
Some of his fathering skills may not have been what we today would call "the best," but his love and determination to bless and provide for his wife and family were unquestioned. His commitment was unfailing. His protection was constant.
His life and example provide all the more fire to my passion for fathers and for what God can do through them. Through fathers, He sends sons and daughters into the next generation to change our world for the better or worse. It depends on dads. While each of us decides daily how to affect our world, the influence of a father, good or bad, is powerful. My dad chose to buck off negative influences and do all he could to be a positive influence. He shows all of us a path. You don't have to be bound by the past. You can be different. You can build on the last generation and into the next generation. Do it!
Phil
