Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Remembering My Father….Every Day!
By Pam Blattner
“…he being dead yet speaketh.”
Hebrews 11:4b (KJV)

My dad was a remarkable man. Born and raised in poverty in South Milwaukee, his spirit of adventure and his commitment to work hard took him a long way. Although he only had a high school education, he taught me some of life’s greatest lessons. He taught me more than just how to do things, as he modeled patience, compassion and unconditional love. His sense of humor kept us laughing even in the hard times, and the stories he would tell from his youth got bigger and better every time he told them! The lessons I remember most from my dad were these:
  • Always keep your promises.
  • Work hard and be proud of what you do.
  • A good imagination is one of life’s greatest gifts.
  • When faced with a problem, don’t say, “It can’t be done.” Get busy and figure out a way to do it!
  • Don’t give up! You’ll succeed if you just keep trying.
  • You don’t have to preach to teach people about the love of God.
A few weeks ago when we had my mom’s funeral, I stood staring at his gravestone. My younger sister and I were truly blessed. We will always be grateful that we had a father who cared, who was sensitive to our needs, and who left us with lessons to guide us through life.

Considering the blessings of my earthly father, moves me to think of my heavenly Father. From the beginning, God intended to have an intimate, loving relationship with us. Did you ever think that when we look at the Son, we are seeing a reflection of our heavenly Father? Jesus Himself said, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9).

In the Bible, God invites us to join His family. He took care of all the arrangements; our part is to say “yes.” At salvation, the Lord adopts us and becomes our Father. His relationship with us lasts for eternity, and provides us with support, encouragement and affection. I love that about Him! He will never desert or turn away from us. From the moment of our salvation, we are indwelt with His presence through the Holy Spirit. And from then on, as our caring Father, He teaches us life’s greatest lessons to guide us through life!

GOING DEEPER:
1. How is God’s Spirit working in you to make your family resemblance stronger and clearer in thought, word and deed?

FURTHER READING:
John 1:12-13; John 3:16

Pam and her husband Richard have two adult children and two grandchildren. She serves Oakwood through its Family Care and is Co-Coordinator of Touched Twice Ministries.
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