Written: June 19, 2016
Though I know I’m not the only one missing my dad this Father’s Day, I realized only just yesterday that on this particular Father’s Day both my boys and myself would both be experiencing the first Father’s Day without our father. Wow, that came as a shock.
While I’ve enjoyed 52 years of life with my father, I cannot say the same for my boys. Will we feel our loss any differently? Hurt any less? I think not, for we were all blessed with fathers who loved us dearly and served as amazing examples of men who gave their lives to the Lord.
While my father never served on the foreign mission field, his devotion to the Lord was no less than that of my husband and father of my sons. He began every day with prayer and Bible reading, and ended every day with the reading of Psalms. He was a great teacher of the Word and deep thinker on spiritual matters. He served the Church both local and universal, and loved missionaries and missions. I have no regrets in my memories of my father, who loved his little girl and yes, spoiled her (as my brothers loved to say). I only admit it now that he’s gone.
Raouf was a wonderful father to our boys, and I know they will live remembering his words, example and love. The boys asked me to go to a gun show with them tomorrow. I told them I always left such things to their father. He loved doing “guy things” with them, from the days of rough-housing when they were toddlers, to shooting, carpentry, and just plain hard labor.
This last few weeks, my boys have been taking good care of their mother by doing some projects around the house (and at church). They carry on, armed with the gifts and skills their father taught them. I’m so blessed.
So, on this bittersweet Father’s Day, I can only thank the Lord for two amazing fathers — Tom Brown and Raouf Ghattas. “The righteous man walks in his integrity; His children are blessed after him.” (Prov. 20:7).
Grace and Peace