My earliest childhood memory is of my Dad pushing
me on a swing at a park and teaching me how to tie my shoelaces there. I
think I was around four years old. It’s funny because my husband’s earliest
childhood memory is of his Dad teaching him how to tie his shoes also. I don’t
know if that memory has any type of deeper meaning, other than the
obvious, . . . that both of us
know how to tie our shoes today, thanks to our Dads.
That was the first of many things I learned
from my Dad. This list includes:
Mowing the grass
Trimming trees and rose bushes
Swimming
Driving a stick shift car
Changing a flat tire
Changing spark plugs (which I have never needed to do, by
the way)
Charging the battery in my Volkswagen
Rabbit while I was away at college
Balancing a checkbook
Algebra I (2 years!), Algebra II, and Geometry
He
also . . .
Read every book report, research paper and story I wrote.
Listened to every speech, oral report, drama performance and
speech team event I gave.
More
importantly, he . . .
Taught me that being the first to apologize is important in
a relationship.
Said winning an argument in marriage is not really a
win-win, and keeping score does not promote love in a marriage.
And
he took me to church when I was young and showed me how to pray and ask Jesus
to be my Savior.
It
has been easy for me to believe the God of the Universe cares about me, loves
me, wants to hear from me and has my best interest in mind . . . because that is how my Dad treated me.
I
know not everyone had an earthly Father like mine. But thankfully, we all have a Heavenly Father who values
us, delights in us, has good plans for us and loved us enough to die for
us. He longs to talk to us, always listens to us, forgives us, and has a
wonderful future planned for us that gives us purpose and hope.
Happy
Father’s Day!
