Father's Day is tomorrow and even though my dad isn't computer literate and will probably never see this, I am going to write about him anyway.
Dad was born in Ellijay, GA (in the N. GA mountains) back in the "moonshine" days. His mother was a God-fearing, praying woman, who is responsible for all of her kids (and probably grand kids) coming to the knowledge of Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. My dad's father was a moonshiner and stayed in prison most of his life. I've heard stories good and bad about my grandfather. The good was that he was a giving man and would see men walking on the side of the road, down on their luck, and let them stay in his house until they got their feet on the ground.
My grandmother passed away due to cancer when my dad was 12. He was raised by one of his older sisters.
A few of things my dad taught me by example or by discipline:
1. He taught me to work. When I was 13 dad came in from work and told me he had me a job. It wasn't "I got you a job if you want it", it was "I got you a job". The job was delivering newspapers. I would deliver them after school Monday-Friday and at 4am on Sunday morning. Accept for the money that I made, I can remember thinking of this as some kind of torture. Today I look at it as one of the best things my dad could have done for me. Even though I don't have any formal education except for High School, I have had a job ever since that paper route. That was 30 years ago.
2. He taught me to go to church and had us there every time the door was opened. Your personal relationship with Jesus Christ should be the first priority in your life. One time when I got old enough to think that it was my decision where to go to church or not I decided I wasn't going and told my mother this when she came to wake me up on Sunday morning. She told my dad, he came to my room and told me I didn't have to go but I would need to pack my clothes because whoever lived in his house was going to church. Needless to say, I went to church.
3. He prayed for me and still does. He doesn't tell me he prays for me. I know because I feel those prayers.
I wish all dads could be like mine and I hope I can be half the man he is.
To all those fathers out there, Happy Father's Day!
