FAITH OF MY FATHER
I grew up in the shadow of a quiet giant.
For my sweet father always woke at sunrise with faithful expectation and lay down each night with a tired peace. The moments breathed in-between proved him to be a living memory verse that my young eyes carefully studied.
Years have passed since I slept under his roof, but even now I see his heart live out the truth of his well-worn Bible.
That Book holds the hope and history of our plain little family. If you look just inside its cover, you will find a scrawled apology from an event that pressed its fingerprint on my heart.
That moment came in a time of unrest. The world just outside our door was filled with raised fists and burning flags.
But inside our four walls, there existed a security where casseroles were cooked and laundry folded before my daddy came home from work each day sharing his weary smile and pack of Juicy Fruit gum.
One Sunday morning, our Tempest idled in the driveway to carry us to the church potluck, our Bible already propped on its dashboard along with a warm cherry pie.
Suddenly - a shout, a back door wide open and my dad sprinting after disappearing taillights signaled that this was no ordinary day. A long pause later, he trudged back through the dirty slush, short of breath and transportation.
Days passed before our stolen property was recovered (minus the pie) and the infamous penned note left in the Bible by the joy riding hippies.
“Sorry we needed to borrow your car, man. Thanks for the pie. It was good.”
It was hard not to take offense at the intrusion into my protected world, yet there was no cry for justice from the man they wronged, even though their free ride came at his expense.
Rather, a humble prayer of thanks, a wistful look at crumbs, and a joyful smile as he recognized that his Bible, like the pastry, may have fed some hungry souls.
Over time, I caught countless glimpses of the Gospel while following behind this gentle man that propel me ever forward down the narrow path of trusting God, the road my father chose.
“Fix these words of mine in your hearts…Teach them to your children….”
