Sunday, June 17, 2012

Fathers

I have been blessed to still have my father in my life.  He recently celebrated his 80th birthday - and what a celebration it was.


Here are lessons I've learned from my dad:


  • He was a Godly man - He took to heart, "train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it."  He used biblical principles in raising us. We also had Family devotions every night when we were little.



  • He was patient - with eight children and eight different personalities one learns to become patient.



  • He was a provider - he took working seriously; he had many jobs throughout his life at various levels.  There was no shame in any of the positions, as long as we were provided for.



  • He was strict disciplinarian - now this I did not like; but because every child is different some of us needed it more than others.  There's a story he told me many years later after I was grown: there was a time when he was about to smack me in the head or the cheek for some offense;  apparently I told him in my own childish way  never to do that to me - and from that point on he never did.  I don't remember this, but it sounds like something I would do (I can't believe I had the nerve to say something!)  So he was strict but also sensitive. He was not cruel.



  • He valued education - we had to know our multiplications tables by the time we were 5 or 6 and guess what, we did.  We read alot in our house; no one was allowed to be bored; if you were bored the standard reply was, "Go read a book!"



  • He enjoyed life - every Saturday afternoon all of us would pile up in our little Ford Escort and drive to the beach.  We would spend the whole afternoon at the beach and then eat conch fritters from a local vendor.  There's also another story that showed his fun side: we lived in the Bahamas, even though my parents were from Barbados.  We were aware of the local dishes, but my mom had never cooked them.  One Saturday, Daddy came home with some crabs and told Mummy that we could make crab and rice - a local favorite.  My mother had never cooked crabs before and she was also afraid of them.  What should have taken maybe 2 hours took the whole day, because my mom had no idea what she was doing.  We eventually ate our version of crab and rice, but never had it again. Then there was the time he brought home a box full of the best mangoes I've ever had.  We all sat there eating mangoes, like it was nobody's business.  One time we had just had a hurricane called Gilda.  A friend gave him a puppy - he brought home a box with the cutest puppy which we called Gilda. Gilda was a fun dog.



  • He was faithful - he took his marriage vows seriously.


This is an ode to my father, but also to my husband because he mirrors the same qualities my father has.

God promises us long life, if we honor our parents. Exodus 20:12, Ephesians 6:1-3.  I don't know how long my life will be, but God's promises are sure.  So today, and everyday tell all the dads in your life what they mean to you.

Happy Father's Day!



4 comments:

  1. http://goo.gl/AWS5O

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  2. What a blessing he was and is to you! Hope you had a good day celebrating him!
    A lovely tribute, I hope he sees it :)

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  3. Your dad honestly sounds just like mine!

    We are truly blessed!

    Hope your dad had a wonderful Father's Day. He is truly the definition of a father!

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  4. For me it was hard connecting with my dad as a child, trust me he is a great man. He worked a lot to take care of the family. Although, I knew he cared and loved for me and my sisters growing up, it wasn't until I became an adult, then parent that I really understood how he expressed his love.
    I think daughters have a special place in their daddy's hearts, so glad you knew yours so well.

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