The Greatest Lesson My Dad Ever Taught Me
My dad has taught me many lessons throughout life. He is one man that I really miss now that he’s been in heaven since 1994. What a blessed hope knowing that I will one day reunite with him in the presence of our Savior.
My dad loved his family and although he had to work many hours, he did not neglect us. There were times that I could ride along to work with him; these were times we spent in talking and me mostly listening and learning from a very wise man. My dad was my hero.
Photo by Juliane Liebermann on Unsplash
Here are few lessons that my dad taught me over the years.
- Love your neighbor/Help the poor – I don’t know of a greater example in that than my dad. Being self employed, he was the kindest man I knew to his customers. And helping the poor? He was always thinking of and doing for the underdog.
- Don’t criticize – You would never find my dad criticizing. He may not agree or he may not have liked something, but rather than criticize, he chose to find the good and to avoid the evil.
- Laugh a lot – He had a great sense of humor. He was a tease in a good way and he loved to watch comedies; I can still hear him laughing.
- Be Responsible – He did not take his responsibilities lightly. He was faithful in all he did. It amazes me today to see so many who just don’t know how to be responsible. Don’t make excuses, just do it!
- Love your wife – Such a godly example he was in loving his wife! He was never ashamed to show his love for her in front of others.
- Be a hard worker – He was self employed and we were definitely not rich. But he worked hard and made ends meet for our large family of six children. He worked hard at his job, his family, and his church.
- Lay up for your children- He never stopped being concerned for his children. He was often found helping us and giving to our needs even after we left the nest. Most important was that He left us a godly legacy.
- Be a godly example – He exemplified Christ in all that he did. He wasn’t a fake. What he was at church on Sunday, he was at home all week long.
- Study the Bible – If my dad wasn’t working, you would find him studying his Bible.(There’s a free bookmark here for Bible Study.) This was his first love. He read, meditated, took notes, wrote sermons and taught. He filled his life with the Word of God. It is a blessing to have many of his notes in files.
- Yes, these are just a few of the lessons he taught me, but the greatest lesson of all that I learned from my dad was to love the Lord God with all your heart, soul, and mind. This was his goal in life. This was what he wanted for his children and grandchildren. He practiced it and passed on it’s importance to all of us. He knew it was the only thing in this world that would bring true satisfaction and peace. He was at peace on this earth because he knew and served His Savior and He was at peace when he passed on because He knew He would be in the presence of the one he loved the most. Are you?
These are definitely truths that I hope we’ve instilled into our children and now want to instill in our grandchildren. My prayer is that they know and can see that I love the Lord God with all my heart and soul.
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