Life as Thank You 45
Dear Dad,
In honor of your birthday I wanted to tell you how much you mean to me. I am working on the discipline of gratitude in 2016 and so I thought this would be a great time to express thanks for all you do (and have done) for me.
Ever since I can remember you have always been there for me. You have given me advice and comfort in addition to a punny sense of humor, half of my gene structure and a love for southern food!
Thank you for working hard long hours so I could have the things I have. Thank you for giving me and M, J, D all the opportunities you gave us. We traveled and had plenty of books, games, lessons and friends. There was never a lack of food, clothing and shelter either.
I learned about our country by driving across it. I learned how to read a map by looking at them with you and I learned about missionaries and cultures from you as we sponsored missionaries and world vision kids. I learned to have a sense of urgency for the lost by listening to you share the gospel and talk about end times. I learned that worship was more than singing by watching you in church. I learned the value of a dollar and the importance of tithing and saving from you. I learned the importance of God’s Word as we had devotions and as you showed me how to hide it in my heart. Even though others taught me to swim and ride a bike, you told me about a personal relationship with Jesus and you modeled what it looked like.
Thank you for setting a godly example in your marriage. I never questioned whether or not you loved mom and even though you might have made parenting “errors”, I never questioned your love for and faith in me either!
I also learned so much from you by the things you didn’t do well. You stood in the gap as my junior high Sunday school teacher and you were not engaging, yet, as a result, I devoted my life to junior high ministry! You were not a camper or outdoorsy kind of guy and yet you sent us and took us to camp. You were not a dancer and yet you took me to a dance with girl scouts. You were not musical yet you paid for all my music lessons and sat through many concerts. You don’t care for sports yet you took me to baseball games when I earned free tickets and you still watch Clayton play soccer.
Dad, I love you and I am more than grateful to the Lord for the rare privilege of growing up in the home he placed me in. You are my hero. I believe whole-heartedly that God knew exactly what he was doing when he chose you to be my dad.
May God bless you all the days ordained to you.
Miriam