This was my dad.

 

We knew dad loved us. 

He had but to look at us and we knew. 

I didn't know how his childhood and early adult years would result in his children receiving such a deep blessing of love but eventually I found out. The entire story unfolded the week he died, when he was 86. My mom was 74 when dad died.

She was his second wife. 

Mom and Dad had four daughters then a son. My whole life I thought I had an old dad, how silly, he was 44 when I, the middle child, was born.

He made very little money, we lived in a house that was never finished, he had poor financial judgement and was easily swayed by a pleading look, or words, from his kids. One time he told me I should be a lawyer as I could convince him of anything. Only once did he discipline me, he swatted me on the behind when I didn't come home when called for dinner.

And he forgave when I greatly disappointed him. Forgave immediately and never mentioned it again. 

He loved us. He loved his children. I have three sisters and one brother,

well, and the one half sister who is with the Lord but I didn't know about her until October 1991, mom revealed this to me just days before he died. 

All my life I had an inkling that my parents had a secret, children instinctively know things. My instincts were not on track with the truth but I knew something was amiss. I always thought my parents had a child who had died but they didn't choose to tell us. But when the fact of my father's divorce was told this satisfied my curiosity about the "secret". 

As a man who had suffered as an orphan at five years old, when in 1910 he was taken to be a farmhand throughout his childhood from the ages of 5 - 14,  a man who had been separated from his sisters, he wanted a family. 

 

When the wealthy woman he was married to for 8 years decided the child she was carrying was a burden to her and she made the decision to abort he had no voice in the matter. She had wealthy connections, a doctor. 

And that's how his first daughter died. 

After which the marriage died. 

And you know what? A child did die.  She was killed about 80 years ago in an abortion. I believe the word of God is true when it says He knew us when we were formed in our mother's womb. God knew her even before that actually, He knew her form and substance, she is a living being.

He loved us, my earthly father. All he had to do was look at us and we knew. 

He never said the words. He did the words. 

He forgave, cared for, was good to, was gentle not harsh, his ways were for us not against us. He wanted a family to love and pour his life into. 

Here was an earthly father who was a good example of a father.

When someone explained to me that God would truly forgive and care and was good and gentle I understood because that was my dad. 

Because of his love it was easy to accept the love of my true Father God.

This was my dad's gift, as a result of his painful life  there was a deeply planted love and longing inside that paved the way for our blessings. He loved us. 

So at 17 years old I received the Eternal Life of Love who is the Lord Jesus Christ as a gift from my heavenly Father which forever changed my past and, well,  everything, for eternity. 

He loved us. 

Thank you Abba, Daddy God. 

 Love you, 

Sideline Daughter..