Dad

So I am sitting here on a Sunday evening feeling rather lousy (strep is going around our house) and since we were unable to attend the Father's Day festivities I figured I would have a quick 10 minute Festivus on the blog all on my own while I listen to my kids "go to bed" (which typically consists of the four boys running from room to room jumping on beds and screaming and laughing rather loudly).  Anyway to the point of the post which is a "shout out" to Dad:

Now that I am a Dad my views have changed somewhat on what is so amazing about Dad - meaning that I probably didn't appreciate some of the things as much as I do now.  One of those things was his role as the breadwinner.  I was never nervous about whether or not Dad would provide for us.  I always felt safe and comfortable with his work ethic and his dedication to his family.  The meals that Mom so lovingly placed on the table everyday were taken for granted by me as I grew up, but now that I have children I can recognize the sacrifice it took for both Mom and Dad to perform those daily tasks and make sure we were properly fed, clothed and sheltered. 

For that I want to express my gratitude to Dad.  He probably felt from time to time that his long hours went unnoticed.  However, I can remember the mornings when he woke up at 4 or 5 a.m. to go to work.  I remember the late nights he spent in the garage doing side jobs to make ends meet.  I am amazed at what he put his body through to take care of our needs - and he did it with very little gratitude or fanfare from us.  I will always be grateful for that attitude of selflessness and the principles of hard work and family loyalty that his actions instilled in me.

The next thing was his support in our athletic, music and other events.  Being as how I am not particularly talented in the musical arena, I of course remember the ball games and wrestling meets the most.  Dad never seemed to miss one - and I still see that same dedication from him today.  Looking back I recognize that not all parents did that for their kids and that it was quite a sacrifice for Mom and Dad to be there all the time - but they always were.  I want to share three brief, personal moments that I have treasured that Dad may not even remember.

The first was in fifth or sixth grade during wrestling season.  Dad was at practice with me and I was wrestling a kid who was older than me, bigger than me and far more experienced and talented than me.  I was working pretty hard but the dude was cross-facing me like it was going out of style and it wasn't long before I was bleeding all over the place.  Being the tough guy that I was, I started crying and telling Dad that I didn't want to do it anymore.  He came over to the side of the mat and just took me aside and told me that I couldn't give up.  I didn't and that moment taught me a lot that has blessed me immensely since then.

The second one was similar - and again at the side of a wrestling mat.  He came to my first tournament my junior year and let's just be frank - I positively stunk it up.  I hadn't wrestled for several years and lacked a lot of wrestling savvy that the other kids had been gaining over the past few years.  As we drove home that night I remember him talking to me about the fact that he didn't mind if I didn't win every match - or even if I was any good at all.  Then he proceeded to give me a little heat Elder Holland style about the match where I had given up at the end.  The kid had gotten me in a move and I just decided to give up and give in and I was pinned. 

He explained to me that it was completely unacceptable to give up.  Talent was one thing, but just plain giving up was a totally different story.  He singed my eyebrows about it a little bit and the lesson stuck with me.  The rest of the season went a lot differently and I was only pinned one other time (a legit domination of me by a kid from Wasatch - I am still not entirely sure what happened but he whooped me good).

The last one was my senior year during football season.  We were in the state semifinals against Snow Canyon playing at Cougar Stadium.  Our offense had done really well all year but for some reason was struggling mightily that day.  We couldn't get anything going.  About halfway through the fourth quarter I was getting pretty frustrated and I was dead tired.  I think our offense had something like 6 or 8 turnovers that game and so those of us on defense were on the field nearly the whole game.  I was beat!  Not that I won the game by any means because it was far from that, but those lessons that Dad had taught me earlier stuck with me.  I gave everything I had the rest of the game until the final buzzer sounded. 

I remember that as we walked off the field Dad was waiting for me in the tunnel between the field and the locker room and I just walked up to him and gave him a big hug and we both just broke down into tears without saying anything.  I have imagined since that day that the future meeting with our Father in Heaven would be similar.  I don't know that He will have to say anything...I don't know that we will have to say anything...but we will have known that He had been there for us all the time, rooting for us and giving us everything we needed to succeed. 

Ultimately that is the point that I want to make about Dad.  In a nutshell he taught me much about our Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ - not just through the various talks, sermons, etc. that I have heard from him over the years as great as they were.  The biggest thing that he taught me was that everything God does is for our benefit.  Whether he was chastising or praising, reproving or blessing, I always knew that everything Dad did was for my benefit.  He did things because he wanted the best for me.  His umpteen hours of work every day, taking time for sports, giving himself completely to his church callings - everything was for us in one way or another. 

That is how our Father in Heaven is - everything he does is for us.  Whether He is chastening or praising, reproving or blessing, I always know that everything He does is for me and for my eternal benefit and for the eternal benefit of my family.  Today I give thanks to the man who taught me most about this truth - that "all these things shall give thee experience and be for thy good." 

Watching him through losing four children and raising ten others I couldn't have asked for a better role model.  I am not saying that he is "the perfect Dad" or that he never made a mistake- (He has always been the first to admit his own personal faults) - but what I am saying is that he was a perfect father for me, as I believe he is for all of us.  I am so grateful to my Heavenly Father for knowing what lessons and principles that I would need to learn to bless me later in life.  I am grateful to Him for giving me parents that raised me right.  I am grateful that He gave me parents who taught me about the Christ through word and deed.  Dad - thanks for all you have been, are and continue to be.  I will never be able to repay you for all you have taught me and all you have done for me.  Always there when I need someone to talk to, always there- worthy and ready to give blessings in times of trouble and there to lay sod in my yard in your old age ;-)  Hopefully all of this gibberish made a little bit of sense and you got some idea of how much you mean to me and to our family.  I love you!