Father's Day-Honoring My Earthly Father & Heavenly Father

My father was a man of few words.  He chose his words carefully. Those who knew him best knew that when he had something to say it was worth listening to. He has been gone for 28 years now, yet I still count him as one of the wisest men I have ever met. He believed in minding your own business, carrying your own weight, and treating others the way you’d like to be treated.

Financially, my father was undoubtedly the most conservative person I have ever known. The only debt he ever carried was a mortgage which he paid off in half the time of the note. He did not believe in debt. Well, let me qualify that statement. My father did not believe in financial debt.  He did believe in helping others.  I think of my dad whenever I read Romans 13:8

“Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law.”

Back in the day when it was acceptable, my dad picked up hitchhikers. He often stopped and bought them a hot meal.  If he saw a woman hitchhiking, he would not pick her up but would stop to give her bus or taxi fare. After dinner at night, if there were leftovers my dad took them to a homeless man in our neighborhood. One bitter cold winter night, my dad was unable to sleep in his warm bed knowing this homeless man was on the street.  My dad got out of bed and went looking for this man and rented him a room to keep him out of the cold.

It was just common for my dad to do things like this. He never said anything, he just quietly did what he felt was necessary. I am certain there are many stories of people he helped that I have never heard.  The term “random acts of kindness” wasn’t common back in those days.  My dad was just doing his best to love his neighbor.

As I said earlier, my father was a man of few words. I think the greatest lesson he taught me was never spoken, but rather lived. Now, 28 years later, life seems to go by faster than ever before. I walk past others without even seeing them because I am too wrapped up in my own circumstances.  I want to change that. My prayer is that I will begin to focus on truly loving others and doing my best to lend a helping hand whenever I can.  

A couple of weeks ago I was reading Matthew and these words pierced my heart:

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”

I’ve been praying that I will become aware of the needs of those around me.  I want to truly live out Romans 13:8 by living a life spent loving others. It’s a lesson I want to live in front of my children. I want to teach them that you don’t have to be wealthy to live this out.  It is simply about sharing what you have.

 I am so grateful that the Lord is still using his example to teach me, even after all these years. As Father’s Day approaches, as with so many years before, I have no one to buy a card and gift for.  Instead I plan on carrying on my dad’s tradition of helping others whenever I can. My heart’s desire is to honor my dad and most importantly, my Heavenly Father.

                                                                        Blessings!

                                                                        Leslie