Faith Words: My Father
I apologize for being so late with this post. We've been in the Dallas area celebrating my father's 89th birthday and Father's Day.
My dad is a wonderful man. All his life, he has worked hard. As a boy, he lived on a farm in East Texas and was the youngest in a family with 9 children. He served honorably in World War II in the First Army commanded by General Eisenhower. In April 1947, he and his wife and infant son were in the process of moving from Pasadena, Texas to Texas City, when the refinery where he was employed was destroyed in what we call "The Blast." A ship blew up in the harbor and destroyed much of Texas City. 500 people lost their lives. When Texas City rebuilt along with the petro-chemical industry there, Dad's hard work continued. He worked at Monsanto during the day and raised cattle and pigs on the side, tending to them twice a day, everyday, to make ends meet for his growing family.
Dad served our hometown church as an elder. He taught many home Bible studies. As the years passed, he worked for several other petro-chemical companies in places like, St. Croix, USVI; Newcastle, WY; Teaside, England; Maracaibo, Venezuela; Houston, Texas. But all the while, he faithfully served the Lord in whatever church community he found himself.
After he retired, he decided to take Mom and move to Belmopan, Belize, to work with the church there as missionaries. For several years, he taught the local people the gospel and interacted with them on more personal levels. He built furniture for the local school so some little children could go to school. He helped a young family bury their firstborn son, building the small coffin himself, helping the father dig the grave, speaking words of comfort to them. He and Mom visited the sick in the hospital there, fed the hungry, and visited the imprisoned. Then, God brought them back to the states.
Since then, he continued to work in the church as much as he could. Lately, he has slowed down a little but not much. He and Mom still read the Bible together each morning before breakfast. And they do what they can to reach out to their neighbors.
Dad is an inspiration to me. He has never let hard times keep him down. And more importantly, he has never waivered in his faith. That is his legacy to our family: a man who loves God and loves his family. What a blessing!
In honor of my dad, I have chosen his favorite verse as my verse for June 15th.
God bless you, Dad. I love you very much.
Patrice
Micah 6:8 (KJV)
He has shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?
My dad is a wonderful man. All his life, he has worked hard. As a boy, he lived on a farm in East Texas and was the youngest in a family with 9 children. He served honorably in World War II in the First Army commanded by General Eisenhower. In April 1947, he and his wife and infant son were in the process of moving from Pasadena, Texas to Texas City, when the refinery where he was employed was destroyed in what we call "The Blast." A ship blew up in the harbor and destroyed much of Texas City. 500 people lost their lives. When Texas City rebuilt along with the petro-chemical industry there, Dad's hard work continued. He worked at Monsanto during the day and raised cattle and pigs on the side, tending to them twice a day, everyday, to make ends meet for his growing family.
Dad served our hometown church as an elder. He taught many home Bible studies. As the years passed, he worked for several other petro-chemical companies in places like, St. Croix, USVI; Newcastle, WY; Teaside, England; Maracaibo, Venezuela; Houston, Texas. But all the while, he faithfully served the Lord in whatever church community he found himself.
After he retired, he decided to take Mom and move to Belmopan, Belize, to work with the church there as missionaries. For several years, he taught the local people the gospel and interacted with them on more personal levels. He built furniture for the local school so some little children could go to school. He helped a young family bury their firstborn son, building the small coffin himself, helping the father dig the grave, speaking words of comfort to them. He and Mom visited the sick in the hospital there, fed the hungry, and visited the imprisoned. Then, God brought them back to the states.
Since then, he continued to work in the church as much as he could. Lately, he has slowed down a little but not much. He and Mom still read the Bible together each morning before breakfast. And they do what they can to reach out to their neighbors.
Dad is an inspiration to me. He has never let hard times keep him down. And more importantly, he has never waivered in his faith. That is his legacy to our family: a man who loves God and loves his family. What a blessing!
In honor of my dad, I have chosen his favorite verse as my verse for June 15th.
God bless you, Dad. I love you very much.
Patrice
Micah 6:8 (KJV)
He has shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?
Comments
Isa 40:31 NIV
Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him.
Create in me a pure heart,O God,and renew a right spirit within me.