I wrote a tribute to my larger-than-life
father many years ago. You can read it here.
This Father’s Day, I am sharing a
treasure I found a few months ago!
When we had to move Mom to a
nursing home, almost six years ago, the house and belongings were all sold. I
did keep some family photos and a few keepsakes. Mom passed earlier this year,
which prompted me to go through a few more things and weed out some items.
While going through the remaining
items, I opened my dad’s Bibles for the first time. What treasures were found!
Dad always had perfect handwriting, and I found his handwritten notes, many on
stationery paper that he taped inside the back covers of the Bibles. Like,
pages of notes!
One of the treasures I found was
his handwritten testimony! I read this with amazement and learned a few more
things about my dad!
I could hear his voice again
as I read:
“I was raised in a Christian home
by a dad who was old enough to be my grandfather.
I attended church every Sunday as
required until I was 8 years old. My dad’s employment in the war defense
industry, where he worked on Sundays, changed the pattern of family attendance.
Very often, though, church attendance was required of me.
My mother was thoroughly a
Christian, the most faithful Christian I’ve known.
My teenage years were spent in a
rough neighborhood in the city, where I battled my way.
I had always considered my parents'
Christianity as something old-fashioned. I did not believe the Bible. I was
under conviction many times, though. I would go along with the idea that there
possibly was a God. I wanted to go my own way without any interference.
My Mother would weep in my
presence over my unbelief and ungodly remarks. She never gave up and often told
me how she was continuing to pray for me.
One Christian girl I met and
later married was absolute in her beliefs. Her faith and goodness were
unwavering. We attended church together during our courtship.
In the spring of the year, I was
19 years old, and I accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Savior during an altar
call. A few days later, I followed the Lord in baptism at 13th Street in the
Arkansas River.
After accepting Jesus as my
savior, I believed he walked on the water and calmed the sea, that he willingly
died to pay for my sins, that he arose from the grave, making intercession for
me to God the Father.
Jesus Christ is the King of
Kings, the Son of God, and the Lord of lords, and he lives in my life.
On occasions, I’ve had my doubts
about being saved and gone to the Lord on my knees to make sure. On each of
these occasions, I walked away with an amazing, peaceful feeling.
I walked through many physically
dangerous situations during a long and dangerous career.
Going by some kind of law of
averages, I shouldn’t even still be alive.
God has his purpose for me to
attend to.
Spiritual things are permanent
and everlasting. Physical things are temporary and, therefore, not as
important. “
DLBizServices.com | Author & Keynote | Biz & Life Coach
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