I posted this as a comment at Larry's:
My father and I were not close when I grew up.
We weren’t at odds. He was busy.
At one point he was told he had 6 months to live.
I was told by my wife to spend as much time with him as I could.
He and I had breakfast every Saturday and often hung out during the day.
I’d take him to work with me if an emergency came up.
We prayed for him and we ended up doing this for 6 years, not months.
I don’t miss him. I know every story he ever told. Repeatedly. 😀
I know every bit of advice he would give me.
I know what dad would do. And often do it.
When I speak or especially sing, I often hear his voice where mine should be.
He got saved shortly before his death. I am grateful for that.
As David said of his son, I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.
Thanks for sharing a practical view. I was not close either with my dad growing up, but came to a rapprochement in my twenties. We were very different people, but life was better with a peace treaty.
ReplyDeleteBAYSIDER
Blessed are the peacemakers.
DeleteJust a couple of years before my dad died I had the privilege of showing him the way of salvation . He had joined a local Baptist Church at my moms insistence and things did not go well for him there . He came out to my farm on Fathers Day after they ran him out of church to do some shooting down in the river valley . He always wanted to shoot when life was turbulent and it always had a calming effect on him. He told me how he had been a life long smoker and that the members could not tolerate that terrible of a sin . He had tried repeatedly to quit and just could not do so . He realized that he was unworthy and could not be a Christian in that particular church . I then got to explain to him that yes , we are all unworthy but when we except Christ , His own righteousness becomes ours and by that glorious transaction we are saved . Not by any works we are able to do . I always remember that day on Fathers Day . My dad is gone now and mom is in hospice getting close herself and my wife told me mom still doesn't think dad will be in heaven cause he never was able to quit smoking . He may smell like Chesterfields but I am sure he made it . Have a glorious Fathers Day !
ReplyDeleteI once suggested we have a smoking section in our church.
DeleteI've known a few men like your dad.
My dad was divorced from my mom for years.
He met his next wife while she was still married to the man she was leaving. A neighbor. They did not wait.
Raised a Catholic, he knew that was "frowned on".
But he was so happy in his new marriage, he couldn't admit that anything that was so good could have been wrong.
I never knew that about him until a couple weeks before he died.
His wife asked if I had any concerns about his impending death (he was still ambulatory and active).
I said that I was concerned about his eternal destination.
She told me to ask him again.
I told her I was tired of the arguing.
So he came in the house and she told him my concern.
He and I went into his living room and he explained the above, and that now he could admit it was a sin and he asked for forgiveness.
Six years to get to that.
Thank you Jesus.
Ed, I heard a bible teacher from the south show years ago how the prohibitions differed from region to region. In the south everyone smoked, but 'mixed bathing' (men and women at the beach) was forbidden. They moved here to So Cal and worked in the youth group. His wife could hardly go on the beach trips because the prohibition against mixed bathing was so engrained in her background. Angelenos had no trouble all gathering at the beach (pre-WW2). But a smoker was cast out.
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing how the Lord can work out some of these things. My brother has a friend whose 100+ father died recently, shortly after he turned to Jesus. His patient son-in-law just had years of friendship and long talks that were probing and provocative but not evangelistic. Another friend, same story last year. I can only hope for my Mr. B but we are past being able to talk seriously about anything now.
BAYSIDER
Father, please be with Baysider and her husband, her other half. Please bring comfort and please give him enough clarity through your miraculous power that there is an assurance of his salvation. In the mighty Name of Jesus.
Delete