Sixty years ago today God blessed this earth with a wonderful man. Though I have only had the pleasure of spending twenty one years with him, they have been amazing years. That man in fact is my father. He had a rough childhood full of memories that weren't favorable. Like I said the other day, we all have choices to make in life. Since his childhood wasn't the best, he chose to raise my sisters and I differently than he was raised.
I can truly say that I am blessed to be raised by this man. I am not just saying that because half of my genes are his. I have living proof sleeping upstairs that genes don't make you a dad. He has not only been my dad, he has been a dad to many children who's father bailed on them in some way, shape or form. With each and every child that walks through our front door needing a dad, he's right there. No matter what you do to him, at him, or against him... he loves you through and through.
For many years I have gotten angry with him for being so quick to forgive my siblings after they do something wrong. No matter what they do (or myself) he ALWAYS forgives. Most of the time its for silly things, but even the big things, he is able to forgive. That doesn't mean that he forgets what we have done, but he is proof of God's love and forgiveness.
He doesn't stop there. The love that he has for my mom is something inexplicable. They have been together for twenty seven years (married for 24). When she needs something, he is automatically searching to fill that need. Even when she's not looking for anything, he has this way of spoiling her with love. This is not to say that they are perfect, because they have also shown me what its like to have a conflict, and how to overcome it (I'm still learning this one). He shows her the respect that she deserves and never goes a single day without letting her know how much she is loved.
The thing about him that is the best, is his love for Christ. He did not grow up a believer like I did. He became a follower of Christ as a young adult. He found Christ, and together he and my mom introduced my siblings and I to the love of Christ. My dad has a thirst for knowledge. He constantly has a different devotion and is always asking questions trying to learn as much as he can about the Bible. He truly loves Christ above all else, and he has shown me what its like to be a Christian. He's shown me how Christ has forgiven him, just as I am forgiven (and you too).
My problem now is, that when I am looking for a suitable husband I am basically comparing them all to my dad. They have a lot to live up to, but I wouldn't trade it for the world. My daddy taught me that I deserve to be respected and loved. He taught me to love Christ and that its okay to mess up, because we are all sinners (my mom helped too of course). So I thank God for this wonderful man! Happy Birthday Daddy!
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