Yesterday was my dad’s birthday. Sometimes I still miss him… He passed away about 19 years ago, when I was just 13. His death was very sudden, with no warning signs whatsoever — just a blood clot near his heart in the middle of the night. And in an instant, my world was turned upside-down. I really didn’t know how life could go on, how I could make it. Nothing anybody could do would make me feel better. I couldn’t sleep, I didn’t want to eat, and I didn’t want to talk to anybody. In my desperation, I cried out to God, because I needed Him. I had known about God, but I didn’t personally know Him until that point. He met me at my time of crisis, and He gave me peace and comfort and love when I couldn’t find those things elsewhere. And since then, God has been so faithful to me, revealing Himself more and more.
I know my dad is in Heaven now, because he lived for God and was faithful to Him. He devoted his life to raising my brother and me right, and he was involved on the praise team at church, and he tried to live a life pleasing to God. (Not that works save you, but because of his faith he did good works.) I’m glad he doesn’t have to deal with back pains and the rough times of this life anymore. But sometimes I still miss him. And sometimes I wonder what life would’ve been like if he had been around longer. But I really can’t complain, because God took that bad situation and worked it out for good (as He promises in Romans 8:28). Through the pain and hardship, I met God personally. And it forced me to grow up more, to help with my family (because I was the oldest son). And it made me really cherish my dad and what he stood for, even when I was still a teenager. His influence is still impacting me, making me want to become a great man of God. I’m very thankful for the legacy he left.
Thinking about my dad’s life also makes me consider the temporary nature of this life. We aren’t guaranteed tomorrow. I still remember the night my dad passed away — it was just a normal evening, until his death. I have no assurance that I will live a long life, so I need to do all I can every day to accomplish God’s will. And I don’t want to take my family and friends for granted.
Occasionally I still meet people who knew my dad, and they always have a great testimony of how he influenced their life in a good way. When it’s my time to leave this earth, I want to leave behind a legacy that glorifies God, like my dad did.
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