Treasure the Moments
Just like footprints in the sand, time stands still for no one. One day we're dreaming of the future and the next moment we're reminiscing about the past. Nothing in this life is permanent---people change, relationships change, children grow up and loved ones pass on.
Recently, I began going through old pictures of my childhood remembering all the wonderful memories we made as children spending the night at my grandparents' house where we could eat endless bowls of ice cream and watch movies all night, and other fun pictures of family vacations and water balloon fights. As a child, life seemed carefree and endless. But all too quickly, the years fly by and we find ourselves sitting with a box of tissues flipping through old photo albums wondering how we got so old so fast.
Father's Day has definitely taken on a new meaning for me as I've hit my mid-thirties, become a parent and started realizing how difficult it can be to raise children. As a little girl, I thought my dad was a superhero. As an adult, I now realize that his love was super-human. I remember coming to the breakfast table each morning before school to find my father sitting with his Bible in front of him at the table and his head in his hands praying over our family. I tried to not disturb him and listened to him pray. It was the most soothing sound and resonates with me to this day.
My father was not a celebrity, a politician or a millionaire, but he was a man who truly loved his family, loved God and served people. As a pastor for almost forty years in Ohio, my father has worked tirelessly to give people hope, meet their needs and help them find joy in this life by serving people and serving God. He's not perfect, but his example of sacrificial love and servitude branded by soul and was one of the greatest catalysts for my own dreams and desires to impact people for good.
From bags of groceries and his favorites clothes to free counseling sessions and yard work, my father never had a limit to how much he gave. And more than anything, I am forever grateful to my father for the valuable, quality time and attention he gave to my two older brothers and me. He always made it a priority to place our family above work and other commitments. Every ball game and honors assembly, every piano recital and choice concert---he was there sitting with our mother cheering us on to greatness. He didn't have to buy us expensive things or take us on lavish vacations because everything was special when he was involved.
This is what Father's Day means to me. Unfortunately, not everyone has fond memories of their fathers, but I hope and pray that these small windows into my childhood will help you to be encouraged to invest in the people around you because you never know how your sacrificial gestures and time will prove to be a life-changing catalyst for someone else.
Treasure the moments and let's continue making many more for the future.
Happy Father's Day, Daddy!
