My last post from Christmas Eve has been a hard one to follow. That day truly ended up very unexpected for me. About 12 hours after I wrote that post, my Dad went to be with Jesus while I was at my parents’ house visiting for Christmas. He had been very sick for a very long time so it wasn’t completely out of the blue, but that exact day…that exact moment…it was very unexpected.
My dad came into my life when I was an adult. In fact, he and my mom got married just 9 months after Rob and I got married. He might not have been the dad I grew up with, but he was truly the best dad I’ve ever known. He was such an amazing blessing for our whole family. He was madly in love with my mom and together they went on many fun adventures – motorcycle trips, camping trips across the country, and always making the best of every day. He was a brilliant engineer and woodworker and although he was retired, he could always be found tinkering and building something out in the shop. He loved trains – was fascinated by them. He also loved people – he loved working with people, teaching people – just being around people. He was great at teaching complicated subjects in an easy to understand way. He volunteered with a florist, the police department, a woodworker’s group that made toys for kids – he was always doing something for someone else.
He was the best dad ever to both me and to Rob. He and Rob loved to work on projects together – fixing something, building something – anything they could do. They even worked on their scroll saws together inside our RV one day – so fun! He was the most incredible Granddad to Emily. From the day she was born, he loved her and always made sure she knew that. They had a priceless relationship and could often be found tinkering with something together as they both shared that engineer type brain and loved to know how things worked.
Dad was almost always happy. He just enjoyed living life. He loved my mom, his friends and his family with his whole heart. He would do anything for anyone. Even when his health got bad and he was so ready to go see Jesus, he approached each day with as much joy as he could. He was so thankful for all the care my mom gave him, but he so wanted to take care of her instead. He looked for the good in every day.
I miss my dad, but I feel so honored and blessed to have been able to spend 17 years with him. A lifetime of good experiences and memories fill those 17 years. I wish I could see him and hear his voice again, but my heart rejoices because I know he is no longer sick, hurting, or struggling to breathe. Instead he’s side by side with the greatest woodworker of all – Jesus! He’s with our Savior – no more sorrow, no more pain. I look forward to seeing him again one day!
