The question I keep asking myself is this:
What do you do on Fathers Day for your father when in the Natural view of things you really have no expectation of seeing him for another Fathers Day?
It certainly is a weighty question, and one that I don’t usually share openly. Obviously, such gestures as cute cards and gift cirtificates to your favorite home emprovement warehouse seem a bit trite.
Therefore, I think my Fathers Day gift will be an attempt to say, “hey, I did learn some things.”
Here goes …
Things I Learned (Am Learning) From My Father
1. “Take some iniative you lazy slacker.”
There are several things which I’m certain that nobody could rightfully accuse my father of. The first is lack of initiative. Apparently, in some freak mutation the American gene of “sitting around on your butt waiting form someone to tell you what to do,” didn’t get passed down his family line. I certainly respect this quality far more now than I did growing up, when the brothers and I all dreaded Saturday’s because of the seemingly endless supply of projects to be done. Some days I could have sworn that he was inventing things to do just to be mean to us.
It makes me look forward to having a family of my own so I can do the same to my kids. “Jamie, can’t talk now. Inventing work for the kids to do tomorrow.” Someday, I should thank Mr. Andy Mckay for doing such a lousy job of maintaining our house before we became the owners. He created many opportunitites for me to see initiative.
2. “Give up some of that money you tightwad.”
The second thing nobody could rightfully accuse my father of would be a lack of generosity. Growing up I always had a vague understanding of giving away a significant portion of our family income. I never remember seeing my father spend money needlessly but I also never remember him saying, “we don’t have enough money” or “we can’t afford that.” I firmly belive that Christ was faithful to meet all of our needs as my father was faithful to meet other people’s needs. The truth that, “you can’t out-give God”, was evident to me. From tithing regularly to supporting many different missionaries and people in need I saw a perfect example of generosity that is one of the things I most respect about my father.
3. “Weirdos” need love too
Growing up, we never seemed to lack for an ample supply of strange, weird, down-and-out, or just plain “busted” people. I sincerely hope that my children will have the same experience. Dad just seemed to attract such people. I never heard him complain or “wish” them away. I mean, not everybody would put up unexpected guests from Alaska for two weeks.
4. “At least you can write a letter.”
My father is quite the letter writer. Not many people ask for stationary for Christmas. And, if they do, not many use it all up. I can recall many a Sunday afternoon seeing my father at the kitchen table writing a letter to someone – missionaries, friends, or folks that just needed encouragement. I know that if those people are like most, they still have those letters stashed away somewhere. One of the best things about having a birthday was getting a letter from Dad – certainly better than any other gift I could think of.
That will most definitely be a tradition that I carry on with my children.
Well, that certainly is just a start, but I think it’s enough for now. Enough for this year. And while I said that in the Natural it doesn’t seem like I’d see him for another Father’s Day, by Christ’s infinite mercy, I can trust that I will.
I have a reasonable trust in a risen Savior, and I’m confident that in spite of everything He is in control.
Caedmon’s Call has a song that seems to express this well to me:
There’s Only One (Holy One)
There’s only one who never fails
To beckon the morning light
There’s only one who sets loose the gale
And ties the trees down tight
When all around my soul gives way
He is all my hope and stay
There’s only one, only one Holy One