A Good Example

Last Friday my mom called to say that she was feeling well and wondered if she and Dad could come and stay overnight with us. They like to do this from time to time because from our house it is only a short drive to San Francisco. They enjoy spending the day there, and this particular time Mom was looking forward to trying out her new "Sidewalk Warrior", her motorized scooter. Sometimes they plan to come and Mom doesn't feel well enough, so when she is having a good day it makes sense to get in the car and go.

Early Saturday morning I got up to go and have my quiet time in the living room and guess who was already there! My dad was there. He was meeting with the Lord and thinking through some things he has been writing. He immediately began to share with me the lessons the Lord has brought to his mind for this project and I was so blessed to hear about it.

I can hardly express the joy I felt when I saw my dad sitting so near my quiet time spot. He is the one who first taught me how to have a quiet time simply by doing it himself. I have so many memories of finding him sitting quietly with his Bible in his lap, deep in prayer when I got up in the morning. There were so many nights that we knew he got up to pray while we were sleeping and then returned to bed for a little more rest before he went off to work. His vigilence in personal prayer and the study of God's word have been foundational to the health and well-being of our whole family. We have depended upon his prayers and spiritual leadership as he has depended upon the Lord.

It is no wonder that I think of God as loving and faithful. No wonder I never doubt that he is with me in all the circumstances of my life. I have had my dad as an example of these things and his life has created the portrait of the Heavenly Father that fills my heart.

Perhaps best of all, whenever I come upon Dad in his meetings with God there is always such a peace and joy about him that it makes me want to know God myself. No matter how tough life has gotten for our family, no matter what depths of sorrow we faced, my dad in his quiet time moments has shown us that there is authentic joy in the Lord. One of the many notes Dad pinned to the refrigerator door some years ago pretty well sums it up:

Joy is the flag that flies over the heart when the Master is in residence.

That is the legacy of relationship with God that I crave. That is one of the reasons I get up to meet the Lord every day myself.

Thanks, Dad, and thank you, God for shaping this man to lead our family.