"FATHER KNOWS BEST"

One rainy afternoon a father was driving along one of the main streets of town, taking those extra precautions necessary when the roads are wet and slick. Suddenly, his daughter, Becky, spoke up from her relaxed position in her seat. "Dad, I'm thinking of something."

This announcement usually meant she had been pondering some fact for a while, and was now ready to expound all that her six-year-old mind had discovered. I was eager to hear.

"What are you thinking?" the father asked.

"The rain!;" she began, "is like sin, and the windshield wipers are like God wiping our sins away."

After the chill bumps raced up my arms I was able to respond. "That's really good, Becky".

Then the dad's curiosity broke in. How far would this little girl take this revelation? So he asked... "Do you notice how the rain keeps on coming? What does that tell you?"

Becky didn't hesitate one moment with her answer: "We keep on sinning, and God just keeps on forgiving us." This father always remembers this whenever he turn my wipers on.

In order to see the rainbow, you must first endure some rain.

This little anecdote was one of the very first my father told me when I was growing up to begin teaching me about God and forgiveness. My grandfather, my dad's dad, was a Southern Baptist minister in Muskogee, OK so I'm immensely grateful I had both a father and grandfather who were committed to following the Lord's teaching of, "Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it". (Proverbs 22:6)

Whether was taking time to play catch or shoot free throws in the backyard or teaching how to bass fish or taking me to a major league baseball game, I cannot remember a single instance when my dad didn't make time.

I was an avid Mickey Mantle & Roger Maris fan growing up as a kid. In 1961, my dad to me to see the New York Yankees play the Kansas City A's in Kansas City. I was 8 years old and I still have the admission ticket stubs which ironically is dated June 19, 1961. 56 years ago and it was such a memorable trip, it just seems like yesterday.

Like most of us raised in the 1950's and early 1960's, getting your butt busted for talking back or not minding was common. My dad followed the Bible teaching of "don't fail to discipline your children. They won't die if you spank them". (Proverbs 23:13)Whether it was a belt or a switch or a bare hand, my dad would bust my butt if I needed it then not waste any time letting me know he loved me.

Yet of all the valuable things my dad taught me, I was 28 years old when I learned the most valuable lesson from him. My dad had been diagnosed with lung cancer and when removal of parts or both lungs didn't work, he took one chemotherapy treatment. I drove him to then Baptist Medical Center and after one treatment, he became so ill, he told me he didn't work all his life and get ahead to spend his savings on staying alive a little longer.

About a week later, he asked me to take him fishing and on this fishing trip, he told me how many death certificates I would need, he wanted to be buried in a simple pine box with an American flag as he was proud of his service in the US Navy during World War II. He went through the list of other financial and family matters to take care of. He even told me that I would have to put my feet down on his request for a pine box casket and American flag as my mother would try to change it after he passed away. Sure enough, my mom and I had words as sure enough she tried to buy a luxurious casket but I prevailed or rather my dad's last wishes prevailed. Truly it was a case of "Father Knows Best" as it all happened as he predicted.

My dad taught me in his final months to live what it truly meant to be prepared to leave this old earth and meet your maker. Despite his immense pain and despite his inability to leave his home, my dad had spent all of his life teaching me about God and now as he was knocking at heaven's door, he continued to show me faith in the Lord is the most precious gift we have.

Merciful Father, thank You for providing me a good father to teach me how to do things, instruct me to be responsible, to always help those who can't help themselves and to discipline me when needed. But most of Lord, thank You for providing me a dad who taught me in words and in actions how to have faith in You during both the good times and bad times while never hesitating in showing me "Jesus Was Alright"!