A Father's Love

While going through our pictures from this summer, I found that we have some sweet pictures of Cambel and Ada with their dad that capture special moments between them. Someday Cambel and Ada will have these pictures to look back on, but I hope that these moments are already being preserved in their minds and shaping their concept of what it means to have a father who loves them and is invested in their lives.

I have memories like these with my dad--snapshots that describe who he is to me. One that stands out to me the most is when I was a freshman in highschool. I had qualified for the state track meet, and when I got there I was terrified (of course, this feeling of terror was not unusual for me, but this time I really did have every reason to feel this way). The track stadium seemed huge and the crowd was intimidating. The officials marched us out the the track and down to the starting line. I felt so small and afraid.

And then I heard my dad's voice. He was there, just past the starting line on the outside of the track. Somehow he had made it down where spectators were not to be, and he was calling out for me, reminding me that he was there and I was not alone.

In retrospect, a highschool track meet is really not that big of a deal, but the memory is more than just a race for me. It is a marker of the kind of love and support I have from my dad.

And because I experienced this kind of love from my father, it is not hard for me to connect with the kind of love I have from God, who describes Himself as our Father. Like my dad, He is there, calling out my name, reminding me that I am not alone.

So when I see Kevin with our children, I am thankful that they too are learning what it means to know a father's love....and someday the Father's love.

(Cambel made a "necklace" for Kevin one day, and since he slightly misjudged the size of his neck, Kevin said he would wear it on his ankle. Then he made one for Cambel so they would match)