My Dad.

Sometimes when I am having a hard day, I will force myself to recount the things in my life that I am thankful for.  My Dad is one of those people on my list.  My dad is so colorful and full of character that I can’t do him justice in this short blog. And you wouldn’t understand what he is like unless you met him. Almost all of the people who know my dad, however, are delighted and honored by his friendship because he brings more color into their lives too.

My dad is a gentle man.  He moved our family out to the hills where there are sheep and bugs and where he had enough land to hand plant over 75 fruit trees, a eucalyptus grove, and good smattering of cedar trees. He liked the quietness of the countryside and as he says, “I like to feed animals.”  He has always had a deep deep appreciation for the beauty of the earth and often says, “Wow! This is evidence for God.”  So on our hill with the fruit trees and the sheep, my dad would hold my hand and we would go for walks.   And he would talk to me but most of all, he would listen to me.  He is an excellent listener. And this is how I remember my dad growing up.

My dad is an interesting man with random hobbies. He is an expert abalone diver, has trained many men to skin dive in that cold pacific northern Cali coast, and can out dive anyone I know half his age.  Most of my friends don’t even know what that is, but if they knew, they’d be impressed and wish they too were able to do it too.  He is familiar with the ocean and has given our family the consistent regular privilege of enjoying fresh sea fish he hand spears and abalone, sea urchin, sea weed dishes all gathered by his own hand. It’s really amazing and no one who hasn’t experienced it can really understand it when I try to explain it.

He also goes hunting for wild mushrooms and attends club meetings with people who “hunt” for these LEGAL mushrooms.  My old biology teacher also goes to these meetings. Then after it rains, he goes out with a basket, collects hundreds of dollars worth of wild mushrooms, and cooks a big feast of it. When I tell people about this, they freak out. Those people who don’t freak out end up joining his crazy club of mushroom pickers, and come out on the weekends for a good time.

My dad is a FUNNY man.  He has that sanguine party personality that gathers people together and makes for a good time. He is pretty good at talking and more than not, when we go out, he is always conversing with strangers. He often ends up inviting them over to our place for a good weekend either out to the coast or picking mushrooms.  Again, all legal mushrooms. He’s a good storyteller and gives most of his friends a good laugh if they don’t get offended by his blunt unashamed opinions.

There’s so much more I could say about my Dad.  He is generous. He is generous.  He is generous.  He isn’t into status or expensive clothes.  He is not easily embarrassed by things that make most people cringe. He will butcher, skin, gut, and cook his own sheep, but feel sad when a praying Mantis dies.  He is really great at training loyal obedient dogs.  He makes good fishing poles out o fruit tree branches.  He knows a lot about the government.  He’s good at cooking random things like curry lamb, deep fried abalone, and mushrooms.  He is super hard working.  He loves and respects the elderly very deeply and visits them in the assisted living houses.   I love my Dad very much. He is good at telling me he loves me too and writes me almost daily emails telling me so. Often people will tell me I am similar to my dad. I always feel so honored by this. I don’t think they are right a lot of the time, but I hope it will become more true as I get older.

Happy Father’s Day Dad.  I thank our Father God for you.  May we press on to be faithful to Him, to love Him, and know that all good things come from Him alone.  Isn’t He so very good to us? 

1. Be still, my soul; the Lord is on thy side;
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;
Leave to thy God to order and provide;
In every change He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul; thy best, thy heavenly, Friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

2. Be still, my soul; thy God doth undertake
To guide the future as He has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence, let nothing shake;
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul; the waves and winds still know
His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below.

3. Be still, my soul, though dearest friends depart
And all is darkened in the vale of tears;
Then shalt thou better know His love, His heart,
Who comes to soothe thy sorrows and thy fears.
Be still, my soul; thy Jesus can repay
From His own fulness all He takes away.

4. Be still, my soul; the hour is hastening on
When we shall be forever with the Lord,
When disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,
Sorrow forgot, love's purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul; when change and tears are past,
All safe and blessed we shall meet at last.

Hymn #651
The Lutheran Hymnal
Text: Psalm 46:10
Author: Catharine Amalia Dorothea von Schlegel, 1752, cento
Translated by: Jane Borthwick, 1855
Titled: "Stille, mein Wille"
Composer: Jean Sibelius, b. 1865, arr.
Tune: "Finlandia"