George

It is with mixed emotions that I share with my readers the death of my father this passed week at the age of 91. I cannot, nor would I testify for my siblings as to their relationship with our father, but without remorse I can speak for myself. Never lacking emotion in conversation, George would normally work his way into dominating control of nearly any situation he happened upon. This was a very bad habit I inherited and have had a tough time keeping under control for years. I think I’ve seen every emotion under the sun ever expressed by man come forth from my father except the one that eluded him, a true compassionate love. This too has been a learned trait I wrestle with regularly. I know he looked forward to seeing his children successful in the world, but success was based on his understanding of the world, so even I was limited to any thoughts of being praised for what I had ever accomplished. Well, I’m not here to judge his life. I feel I did my best to honor and obey my father during his life, and Lord knows I too could have been a much better father in time past. This is all I have to say about that, for now.
One day a small boy was taking a walk with his father. When they passed an unusual looking truck, he asked, “What’s that daddy?” “I don’t know”, answered the father. Then while passing by a large old warehouse, the boy asked, “What’s in there daddy?” The father answered, “I really don’t know son.” Then they saw a man with a pneumatic hammer breaking up the pavement in the middle of the street. “What’s that man doing daddy”, asked the boy. “I haven’t a clue”, replied the father. After a short while of walking in silence, the boy asked his father, “Daddy, do you mind me asking so many questions?” “Of course not”, replied the father, “how else are you going to learn?”
A man was sitting on a hard, bumpy, elevated piece of rock, fishing. His wife watched him for a while and then commented to their daughter, “Is this the same man who complains every Sunday that the cushioned church pews are too uncomfortable?”
[Genesis 2: 18-24] God arranged it from the beginning that man was to leave his mother and father at an appropriate age to make his own way in the world. Parents are tutors to prepare children for life in the world and a good bit of what they learn is by example. How we handle problems and how we love one another is a learned trait by example. It is said you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but I say if you can get past the old dog’s routines of life he’ll open up to learning new tricks. I had many bad habits when it came time to leave my parents and I had lots of trouble handling life, though not as bad as others I’ve known. The church has been a redeeming lifestyle for me. It seems every time I get one of those unsavory routines of life out of the way to make room for God’s will in my life a little more of that love-by-example that has eluded me enters into my life. “Father’s, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” (Ephesians 6:4 NIV) A man once said he found no use for going to worship for he couldn’t remember what was said in the lesson the next day anyway. He was asked if he could remember what he had for dinner six weeks ago. He said no. He was reminded he probably couldn’t remember all the meals his mother prepared for him, yet he grew into adulthood. Applied early, God’s word can bring a person to maturity in thought and deed, physically and spiritually. No new tricks needed.