Like many of my postings, this question can reflect several different scenarios. My scenario is one of extreme humility because I know how I ended up here; my Dad. So, I thought I would list a few things that Dad is responsible for in my life and share with you my thoughts on what it means to be a Dad. Our focal passage comes from Ephesians 6:4 which read, "Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord."
For those of you reading this blog, my prayer is that you will take lessons from Dad on what it means to be a great Father. Remember, your daughters will seek out a husband that is like you and your sons will treat their wives like you treat your wife. Be it good or bad, you are the gold standard in their lives. You'll read more about this later.
As early as I can remember, my Dad involved me in things that he liked such as hamfests, ham radio, fishing, computers, and many more. I guess this explains a lot to those of you that know me...lol! I can remember going with Dad and one of his friends, Mandall Rigdon, up to Sassafras Mountain to work on a ham radio repeater. I could not have been more than three or four years old, but Dad took me with him. Fortunately for Dad, he brought along my sleeping bag which proved to be a good thing; we got stuck on the mountain. I don't remember how or why, but I do remember being with him. Hamfests were an annual event in the Littleton family. Dad, my uncle Lewis, my cousin Eddie, and myself took a trip up to Shelby, NC every year to walk around, "The Granddaddy of them All", the Shelby Hamfest. I have so many wonderful memories of those trips, but unfortunately I don't have the time to share them all with you. But again, Dad involved me. I remember fishing trips to the "Hot Spot" and "Hughes Bend". I remember Dad teaching me to work on things; cars, radios, yard work, etc. He always told me, "Check the simple stuff first." You don't know how many times I could have saved a lot of time if I had only listened to that little piece of advice. Dad was always there for baseball games and later in life when I played RA Softball, he was there for that as well.
When we were young, we didn't have a lot of money, but Dad was very creative. Our semi-annual outing was to take a trip down to the Ramada Inn in Clemson. That may seem strange, but my sister and I loved to play in the pool which we didn't get to do very often so Dad would load us up and take us for a one night outing just to let us play in the indoor swimming pool at the Ramada Inn. Sometimes on Sunday nights, he would load us up in the back of his vette, his Chevette, and just go for a ride while Kathy and I would look up at the stars. I remember Dad decorating the house with balloons and other party favors for Mom's birthday. He even let me stay up to wait on mom to return from work on the second shift. Dad was the perfect gentleman.
Now while I'm sure much of the motivation and instruction on doing things for Mom came from subtle guidance from Mom, Dad was willing to do it. He taught me to love my wife and to treat her with dignity and respect. I've never heard Dad raise his voice at Mom to this day and they've been married for 42 years. Dad has always been active in Church and faithful to Christ.
I owe every single success in my life to my Dad. I began training for my career when I was born. I began training to be a husband when I was born. And, I began training to be a father again, when I was born. Why, because I had a Dad that took the time to be involved and who taught me to be these things. Now I'm sure there are those who are reading this blog that didn't have a Dad like I have. I cannot begin to imagine what that must have been like, but there is hope!! You can break the cycle today. Today, you can choose to be a man of integrity, a husband of great repore, and a father of immeasurable compassion, love, and strength. Today, you can choose to be "Courageous" all for the cause of Christ!
Jesus, thank you so much for Dad! Thank you for giving me such a wonderful example of you. I'm sorry when I fail to take advantage of every single second of life with my wife and children. I ask you father to heal broken hearts that may be reading this and who have not experienced a Godly example of you. Please wrap your arms around them and show them your love. I love you so much Lord!
Happy Father's Day Dad!!! You have no idea how much I love you!!
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