Reason #156
I got to go to church with my family today, which is one of my absolute favorite things! My grandparents came over to celebrate Father's Day with us. I can't believe it's already Father's Day, by the way. I feel like we just celebrated Mother's Day. Anyhow, the pastor preached on family, of course. He made a comment that really stuck out to me. Ephesians 6 instructs children to honor their parents, but the pastor said that if you have good parents who are also Godly parents, they deserve double the honor. This means that the child is double-y blessed. I would count myself double-y blessed.
Well, I had the privilige of getting to sit between two men who mean the world to me during church. As with any good Southern Baptist service, the pastor ended with an invitation. As he spoke, quite music played in the background. An old hymn. The music minister quietly sang the words. Now, I've shared with you before that I come from a musical family. My granddad is a singer to the core! He is always got a tune stuck in his head which usually escapes through a whistle. My mom has picked up that same little trait, and this weekend, my aunt pointed out that I, too, do the same thing. As the music played, I closed my eyes and made a point to listen to my grandad's beautiful bass voice harmonize with that of the music minister's. It was so comforting and peaceful to listen to that familar voice sing those beautiful words. Words he knows well. Words he grew up singing. And my heart was so full. For 19 years of my life, my family sat together at church so I heard his voice each Sunday. I suppose it's one of those sweet things you get used to and don't realize how precious it is until you've found yourself in another pew. Anyhow, as I drove home, I thought about these two men. Not only have the led this family with wisdom and love, they've taught me a thing or two along the way.
I am the baby of my family. When my parents found out they were having another child, they had to wait the whole 9 months to find out if I was a girl or boy. My nana tells the sweetest story about my dad from my birth-day (which I suppose was also my birthday). She said my dad came walking out of the OR with tears in his eyes. She ran up to him and said, "Is everything okay? Is Kenda okay? Is the baby okay?" He responded "yes" to all of the above, so she asked why he was crying. He said, "It's a girl!" Now, according to her, these were sweet, happy tears. I haven't seen my dad shed too many tears over 24 years. To know this man was completely in love with me from day 1 and still is just melts my heart. One of my earliest memories of my dad and me stems from my pre-school days. My dad would get me ready for pre-school in the mornings. I had en ever-so-stylish mushroom haircut, which my mom swears it was cute and in style back then. I just have to take her word on that. Anyhow, I remember my dad used to try and curl my hair. His shaky hands would spin my fair, blonde hair around the curing iron barrel and he would place his hand on the back side of the iron so that he didn't burn me. Then, he would stick this red bow on the side of my hair. For a man who has no hair, I think he did a good job styling mine. Aside from hair styling, he has taught me quite a bit over the years. My dad taught me what it means to stand for what you believe. He taught me how to have strong character because he lived it out himself. He showed me what it meant to be a person of your word, a person who is dependable, because he has always been there for me every time I've needed him (even at 2:00AM). And to top it all off, he passed on to me his genes for long, skinny toes. And although they sort of drive me crazy as they make my feet look extremely long, I suppose they are kind of endearing to me because they come from a man who has held my heart from the beginning.
Before I started pre-school, my grandparents were ever so kind to keep me during the days while my parents were working. I'm pretty sure they beat out any mother's day out/pre-school/day care program that has ever existed! Not only did I get an extra dose of TLC, but I learned a lot from them, too. My grandad taught me songs, read me Mother Goose nursery rhymes over and over and over and over, and my biggest accomplishment was learning how to tie a bow. I remember practicing on his blue housecoat. This trait came in quite handy not only for me, but for my brother as well. I count myself so blessed to have grown up in the same town with my grandparents. When I was 15, my grandad would pick me up from school each day. I have an August birthday, so I was the last person in my class to drive. I HATED IT! Well, to help satisfy my longing desire to get behind the wheel, my grandad would let me drive his new pick-up home every day after school. Truthfully, I would not let a 15 year old behind the wheel in my car, much less my new car, but that's just the kind of man he is. A generous man with a big heart. A man who would give you the shirt off his back if you needed it. A man who is most trustworthy. And of course, a man who is a leader in every form of the word. He, too, taught me more than songs and bow tying. He taught me what it meant to have genuine faith. He exemplified how important it is to be a good listener. A true picture of wisdom, he is! And so I'm glad to share that same love of music he does and glad that I, too, have unknowingly picked up his whistling habit.
Father's Day. A day to honor the men in our life. And this year, I can't even really put to words how much they mean to me. This year, the men in my life have stood up for me in a mighty, mighty way. They've stepped in at a moment's notice, made themselves available, prayed for me, protected me, loved on me and been there for me. I realize, as I've walked through difficult circumstances, how lucky I am to have such Godly men in my family. I have also come to realize how rare of a jewel they are, so I praise the Lord for sticking them in my family tree.
So, Happy Father's Day Dad! And Happy (Grand)father's Day, Grandad! I love you two more than you'll ever know. Thank you for loving me unconditionally, for leading our family so faithfully, for serving the Lord wholeheartedly, and for being rare jewels!
#156 - Because I have been double-y blessed with a good father and grandfather!
"Listen to your father, who gave you life..." - Proverbs 23:22
Well, I had the privilige of getting to sit between two men who mean the world to me during church. As with any good Southern Baptist service, the pastor ended with an invitation. As he spoke, quite music played in the background. An old hymn. The music minister quietly sang the words. Now, I've shared with you before that I come from a musical family. My granddad is a singer to the core! He is always got a tune stuck in his head which usually escapes through a whistle. My mom has picked up that same little trait, and this weekend, my aunt pointed out that I, too, do the same thing. As the music played, I closed my eyes and made a point to listen to my grandad's beautiful bass voice harmonize with that of the music minister's. It was so comforting and peaceful to listen to that familar voice sing those beautiful words. Words he knows well. Words he grew up singing. And my heart was so full. For 19 years of my life, my family sat together at church so I heard his voice each Sunday. I suppose it's one of those sweet things you get used to and don't realize how precious it is until you've found yourself in another pew. Anyhow, as I drove home, I thought about these two men. Not only have the led this family with wisdom and love, they've taught me a thing or two along the way.
I am the baby of my family. When my parents found out they were having another child, they had to wait the whole 9 months to find out if I was a girl or boy. My nana tells the sweetest story about my dad from my birth-day (which I suppose was also my birthday). She said my dad came walking out of the OR with tears in his eyes. She ran up to him and said, "Is everything okay? Is Kenda okay? Is the baby okay?" He responded "yes" to all of the above, so she asked why he was crying. He said, "It's a girl!" Now, according to her, these were sweet, happy tears. I haven't seen my dad shed too many tears over 24 years. To know this man was completely in love with me from day 1 and still is just melts my heart. One of my earliest memories of my dad and me stems from my pre-school days. My dad would get me ready for pre-school in the mornings. I had en ever-so-stylish mushroom haircut, which my mom swears it was cute and in style back then. I just have to take her word on that. Anyhow, I remember my dad used to try and curl my hair. His shaky hands would spin my fair, blonde hair around the curing iron barrel and he would place his hand on the back side of the iron so that he didn't burn me. Then, he would stick this red bow on the side of my hair. For a man who has no hair, I think he did a good job styling mine. Aside from hair styling, he has taught me quite a bit over the years. My dad taught me what it means to stand for what you believe. He taught me how to have strong character because he lived it out himself. He showed me what it meant to be a person of your word, a person who is dependable, because he has always been there for me every time I've needed him (even at 2:00AM). And to top it all off, he passed on to me his genes for long, skinny toes. And although they sort of drive me crazy as they make my feet look extremely long, I suppose they are kind of endearing to me because they come from a man who has held my heart from the beginning.
Before I started pre-school, my grandparents were ever so kind to keep me during the days while my parents were working. I'm pretty sure they beat out any mother's day out/pre-school/day care program that has ever existed! Not only did I get an extra dose of TLC, but I learned a lot from them, too. My grandad taught me songs, read me Mother Goose nursery rhymes over and over and over and over, and my biggest accomplishment was learning how to tie a bow. I remember practicing on his blue housecoat. This trait came in quite handy not only for me, but for my brother as well. I count myself so blessed to have grown up in the same town with my grandparents. When I was 15, my grandad would pick me up from school each day. I have an August birthday, so I was the last person in my class to drive. I HATED IT! Well, to help satisfy my longing desire to get behind the wheel, my grandad would let me drive his new pick-up home every day after school. Truthfully, I would not let a 15 year old behind the wheel in my car, much less my new car, but that's just the kind of man he is. A generous man with a big heart. A man who would give you the shirt off his back if you needed it. A man who is most trustworthy. And of course, a man who is a leader in every form of the word. He, too, taught me more than songs and bow tying. He taught me what it meant to have genuine faith. He exemplified how important it is to be a good listener. A true picture of wisdom, he is! And so I'm glad to share that same love of music he does and glad that I, too, have unknowingly picked up his whistling habit.
Father's Day. A day to honor the men in our life. And this year, I can't even really put to words how much they mean to me. This year, the men in my life have stood up for me in a mighty, mighty way. They've stepped in at a moment's notice, made themselves available, prayed for me, protected me, loved on me and been there for me. I realize, as I've walked through difficult circumstances, how lucky I am to have such Godly men in my family. I have also come to realize how rare of a jewel they are, so I praise the Lord for sticking them in my family tree.
So, Happy Father's Day Dad! And Happy (Grand)father's Day, Grandad! I love you two more than you'll ever know. Thank you for loving me unconditionally, for leading our family so faithfully, for serving the Lord wholeheartedly, and for being rare jewels!
#156 - Because I have been double-y blessed with a good father and grandfather!
"Listen to your father, who gave you life..." - Proverbs 23:22
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