Thoughts About Dad

My Father recently passed away.  We had plenty of people telling stories  and sharing good thoughts about him, but we wanted to honor him with something a little deeper. 

My Dad was quite a character and I am sure almost everyone present could have told a story about Dad, in fact we were quite encouraged to hear many stories during the visitation. We actually thought about letting people come up and tell stories, but we quickly realized it would have taken several weeks. 

I’ve got to tell you we will really miss our Dad and there is so much we could say about him, but if I might I would like to share something about Dad from a unique perspective, from the perspective of his Children. 

To do that I am going to have to confess just a bit and I am quite sure that you will all find this hard to believe, but as I was growing up I was a bit of trouble. In fact, on several occasions I would find myself in trouble. I would know I was in trouble, but there was also something else that Dad made sure we knew. Something that we knew with all our heart and that was that we could always count on him to be there, to help, to catch us when we fell, and that he loved us – no matter what. 

It reminds me of a short passage from the book of Luke; the parable of the prodigal son. It is a story of a son that find himself in great trouble, who lived a little recklessly, a desperate son, but that is not the point of the story. The point of the story is the Father’s reaction. 

Let’s pick up the story where the son that is desperate and in trouble is turning to his father...let’s see the father’s reaction. 

20 So he got up and went to his father.  But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. 
 
21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 

22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate.  

24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate. 

Did you see how as soon as the father saw his son, knowing his son was in trouble – he ran to his son filled with compassion and love. That was the example we had with our Dad, but even more that is the example we all have with our Father in Heaven. 

I am a blessed man – I have a great family, good friends, a great Mom and Dad, I have a wonderful wife and two beautiful daughters, I have a son-in-law proudly serving in the United States Marine Corp, I have a beautiful niece and fantastic nephew; I could not have picked a better brother in law and there is one more thing I have and that is an amazing sister. And Lisa was with Dad as he passed away – she described it to me as very peaceful and hopeful and at the end there were these expressions of going home.

 And that is where we are confident Dad is today...finally home!

While all this was going on Lisa also found an article written by Henri Nouwen, a catholic priest and great spiritual writer. It is an article about dying, it is an article about faith, and most importantly it is an article about trust – It is an article built on Nouwen’s relationship with a circus trapeze troupe and we would like to share it. 

One day, I was sitting with Rodleigh, the leader of the troupe, in his caravan, talking about flying. He said, "As a flyer, I must have complete trust in my catcher, the public might think that I am the greatest star of the trapeze, but the real star is Joe, my catcher. He has to be there for me with split-second precision and grab me out of the air as I come to him in the long jump." 

"How does it work?" I asked. 

"The secret," Rodleigh said, "is that the flyer does nothing and the catcher does everything: when I fly to Joe, I have simply to stretch out my arms and hands and wait for him to catch me and pull me safely over the apron behind the catchbar." 

"You do nothing!" I said, surprised. 

"Nothing," Rodleigh repeated. "A flyer must fly, and a catcher must catch, and the flyer must trust, with outstretched arms, that his catcher will be there for him." 

When Rodleigh said this with so much conviction, the words of Jesus flashed through my mind: "Father into your hands I commend my Spirit." Dying is trusting in the catcher. To care for the dying is to say, "Don't be afraid. Remember that you are the beloved child of God. He will be there when you make your long jump. Don't try to grab him; he will grab you. Just stretch out your arms and hands and trust, trust, trust." 

Just as we trusted that no matter what; our Dad was there to catch us, we also trust that we have a Good, Good Father in Heaven that was there to Catch Dad and will be there to catch each of us. Trust, Trust, Trust...

We will miss you Dad!

Grace and Peace!

Trying Times

I think we all go through difficulties of one type or another. You know the kind where time just seems to stand still. During these trying times, we get all kinds of encouragement from family and friends, we get helpful advice and well wishes, but lately during one of the most trying times in my life, I am getting comfort from scripture. 

Reading through the Psalms and many other places in the Bible have just been so soothing for me and I love that we can turn there any time we are in need. Recently as I was really and seriously worrying about something that is beyond my control my pastor sent this passage to me. 

2 Corinthians 1:3-5

Praise to the God of All Comfort 

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 5 For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. 

It really helped me focus and truly rely upon our great and loving God; our Father of compassion, the God of all Comfort. I hope it might help you as well. 

Grace and Peace!

Endurance

I’ve got a lot going on right now both personally and professionally. I guess you could say at times I experience stress on steroids. At times it can be overwhelming, it can seem never-ending, it can seem to be everything. Still I know that the things that I am going through are nothing, even mild compared to some. I think at times we all go through these stress-filled trials. It is just part of the recipe of life in a broken world. I was thinking about this and it occurred to me that during these times we all need a little something called endurance. 

Endurance is the ability to withstand; to sustain; to embrace challenges; working hard without stopping (or giving up) in the face of challenging and difficult circumstances. As Christians we have a place to turn in these times, we have an example in Christ who endured all for each of us, so that we have the promise of all eternity, resting in His mighty arms, loved as only he can love.

In Colossians we are reminded that as Christians we are; “strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience” and that through Christ we have been already and completely qualified “to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” 

Oh my, through Christ, through our faith we can patiently endure strengthened by our great God. I read somewhere that “endurance is not just the ability to bear a hard thing, but to turn it into glory.” 

That is my hope and prayer for us all that we will be strengthened, that we will patiently endure all for the Glory of God. 

Press on!

Grace and Peace!