The gift of a Father.

I know that I've been talking about my father quite a bit lately.  But with his sudden passing it's hard not to be overwhelmed by daily reminders and memories which either bring mostly smiles and a few tears.  And of course with this Father's Day on Sunday, the first without dad, there's  one less card to send and one less phone call or hug to give.  Well that's not right!  Just cause dad's in heaven doesn't mean that Father's Day stops.  After all, I'm a father for a quite a few years now.  So are my brothers and friends too.  The day is for celebration not sorrow.  I was privileged to have had my dad for 50 years.  He taught me how to be a man. How to work, fish, hunt, provide for and raise a family.  He also taught me how to face up to my responsibilities and mistakes.  Of which there were plenty in my younger days!  But probably most of all he passed on to me a very precious and valuable gift.  He passed on his absolute unconditional love.  Never once in my life can I think of a circumstance or moment that we experienced together that he abandoned me or shut me out.
He always forgave.  Love and forgiveness are two powerful traits to possess.  The subject of love is brought up and discussed 314 times in the Bible.  Jesus declared emphatically that love was the greatest attribute we can have.  It conquers all!  It is the cornerstone to the Christian walk.  Quite simply, where love is Christ is and where love is absent sin, hate and destruction abound.    So this gift of unconditional love my dad so generously doled out, was simply a gift he had received.  He knew that his job was to pass on to others what he had been so freely given by his father.   My point is this.  When our time is up and we go home to the O.G. ( Original God, that's my take on original gangster slang to be hip with my younger readers ) He will talk to us about the opportunities we had to pass on His gift.  It's not the money, real estate, possessions or trappings of this life we are to leave.  Those things all pass away!  It's love.  The gift that keeps on giving.  So well done father and Happy Father's Day.  But do yourself a favor and let God run the grill!!   P.S. - For those that knew my dads ability to destroy perfectly good steaks.;)

John 3:16   
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.