Father's Day Thoughts

Today is Father’s Day. My father was killed in a terrible accident when I was 7 years old. Even though I was very young, I have some vivid memories of times with him.

I was a daddy’s girl. I enjoyed him coming home from work every day. My sister, June and I would run out to greet him when he drove up. We would each grab a leg, step up on his work boot and get a ride into the house on his strong feet. He would head straight to the kitchen where mama was putting supper on the table. He’d walk up to mom and pull her into his arms for a kiss. I can still remember standing on dad’s foot, looking up at the two of them embracing and feeling so safe. “Were my little ladies good today?” daddy would ask mama. I wanted so much for her to be able to answer, “Yes”. I wanted daddy to be proud of his little ladies.

Daddy was gentle and kind but also very strict. He loved God and he loved church and we girls were expected to sit by him perfectly quiet and still during service. We didn’t always manage to fulfill his expectations and discipline followed when we arrived home.

Every night daddy would read a Bible Story to June and me. When he was finished he would remain sitting on the couch and June and I would each kneel at one of dad’s legs. He would place his arms around our shoulders and pray with us. When I was six years old, I asked Jesus into my heart while leaning with my head on daddy’s knee.

Daddy was one of thirteen children and had never received a toy for Christmas. He worked for the railroad and loved trains. Mom secretly saved money out of her grocery budget for a whole year and gave him a train set for Christmas. I can still picture daddy up in the spare bedroom happily setting up communities and towns for his train. We would go to sleep at night by the gentle humming of the engine as it pulled the rail cars around the track. After daddy died, mama would take out his train every Christmas and set it up around the Christmas tree.

I only had seven short years with my Father but his character and teaching gave me the foundation that I have lived on every since. Proverbs 22:9 says “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.” On this Father’s Day I am grateful for an earthly father that introduced me to the One who promised to be “A Father to the fatherless and a defender of widows.” (Psm. 68:5) He is the greatest Father of all.