Dad, Happy Father's Day

A year ago, my father didn't feel like celebrating.  He was in the middle of radiation and chemo for throat cancer.  He was sick and tired.  It was so hard seeing him like that, but it was necessary.  People would come to me and tell me how hard it was to see my dad so weak and sick.  It was hard, but that didn't bother me.  I was more worried about the outcome.  Would he even be around in six months or a year?

I prayed and wrote my devotion about his journey every day.  I praise and thank God that a year later Dad is still here and back to his old self in a lot of ways.  He still has a swollen throat and nothing tastes right.  He eats twice as much as any of us and doesn't gain any weight.  He jokes around, tries to maintain a good attitude and helps out when he can. 

He told me that this was his last year of teaching VBS.  He has done that for a lot of years.  One year I made a cave for him out of milk cartons and cardboard.  My mom acted like Mary, the sister of Lazaraus.  She told the story and when it came to the part where Jesus called Lazarus to come out of the grave, Dad popped out of cave!  The kids got a big kick out of that.  This year he was a shepherd telling about how the angel came to see him on the hills outside of Bethlehem.  He has been a lot of fun.  Thanks for those memories, Dad. 

Through the years, my dad has taught me a lot, and stood up for me a lot.  He taught me how to be kind to strangers by giving them roses to make their day.  He taught me that having fun should almost always include ice cream, and that you are never too old to be the class clown.  He also gave me the example of a great work ethic, how to be a leader and how to be a friend.

He showed me that a father loves, disciplines, and protects.  My dad was the man who baptized me into Christ.  He is the one who I strive to model my life after.  He always gives me a reason to sing, mostly because he tells me what song he wants to hear.  I love my dad.

I am grateful that God picked my dad for me.  I have never wanted anyone else to be my dad.

Psalm 22:4
In You our fathers trusted;They trusted and You delivered them.