Today my dad would have been 80 years old. Here is a bit of what I said at his memorial service just this past January: My dad was not a complicated man. He loved people! He never had a bad word to say about anyone. He was never critical. He accepted people for who they were. My dad did not hold a grudge. He forgave quickly and he wasnt afraid of asking for forgiveness. One cousin of mine described him as a gentle soul. That was my dad! I received a card from another friend who said, Your dad was a paragon of grace. I honestly didnt know what a paragon was, so I looked it up. The dictionary said, a person or thing that is perfect in some way and should be considered a model or example to be copied. Yes, that was my dad! My dad taught me to pay my bills and to save up for what I wanted. He taught all of us kids to spend less than we made. He lived life that way. He was frugal and knew how to get much from little. Many of you may not know, but my dad built the house that we lived in. He was 19 when he and mom married, and mom said they moved into the one bedroom house just before he turned 21. They paid as they went. They never had a house payment which gave him opportunity to help those who had even less, to give to his favorite Christian radio programs, and to the Veterans organizations that he appreciated. My dad went with me to buy my 1st car, a gray 1973 Toyota Corolla. I got it just before I began my first teaching job in Vancouver, Washington. Ill never forget his tough stance on finding a place to live down there. You see, I had a boyfriend at the time that wanted me to live in Portland, across the bridge, and closer to him. You get the picture......I wanted to live in Portland. But Dad, being the sensible man that he was, insisted that it would be a bad decision. His gentle soul put his foot down and said, No. He did not want me driving across the bridge in bad weather and payitg for all that gas! My dad was practical and smart....and guess what? The boyfriend and I broke up within a month. Yes, my dad was a common sense man! While my dad prided himself on paying cash, he did finance my first piano for me. I had just moved to Marysville at the age of 26, and I fell in love with a little spinet piano at Cascade music. The cost was $875.00, and he could tell that I really wanted it. He paid the cash and I paid him $50.00 a month, interest free. It is a sweet memory. My dad knew what was important to me. As a young girl, my dad taught me that guys and gals think differently. He made me feel worthwhile, and often told me that modesty was a virtue. My dads love for me made me feel secure, and although I think at times my dad worried that I would never marry, I knew I could still be daddys little girl until that day came. My dads love for me was a segue in learning to trust my Heavenly Father. What a rich legacy I was given. One of the grandkids wrote on facebook, I will always remember Papas sweet smile, carpenter hands, and huge heart for people and for the Lord. My own daughter, Amy, remembers working at the bank in Snohomish and having Papa come in to see her with these Bible verse cards that mom made. Even after she left the bank I would see her friends from the bank post, Guess who came in to the bank today?....and there was a picture of a verse. He was not ashamed of the gospel. My dad wasnt big on Bible-speak, but he was big on living out his faith. He knew and practiced more on the practical book of James in the New Testament than he did on the priesthood of believers in the book of Hebrews. He often said to me, I try to see myself as others see me. It has caused me to ask that same thing of myself more often. Dad looked forward to heaven, and as his health declined, he longed for it even more. He loved mom loyally and provided for all of his kids liberally. He will be missed immensely, but little things will remind us of him and our eventual reunion in heaven. Happy birthday, dad! I love you! And I am very proud to be your daughter!
Posted on: Mon, 25 Aug 2014 04:37:01 +0000
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