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My Father, my daddy and me

God waited a long time for me to be born. So did my earthly father.After both my parents had fallen asleep, it fell on me to go through all their belongings. One of the most treasured items I found is my father's mothers Bible. She had notes all through it. I could tell she loved to read it, loved to spend time in there and she also put a few of her hearts desires in the margins. One of which was a prayer on behalf of my father as he always wanted to have a daughter. She fell asleep in the late 1940's, she didn't see the answer to that prayer came on August 24, 1959 at 4:03pm central time. That is when I was born.My parents had very high hopes for me. In some ways I bitterly disappointed them, particularly my mother. All my father wanted was for me to do the best I could and like what I did with my life.My favorite times with my daddy was on Saturdays when he tinkered with the family cars. He loved cars, trains, motorcycles, and airplanes. Anything with an engine fascinated him. It was all new back in 1915 when he was born and he loved the whole idea. On Saturdays he would check the oil, the water, the tires, the belts and get in the engine compartment and fiddle around. My brothers weren't interested in that but I sure was. Anything my dad did, I did too. So I learned the parts of a car, the tools to use, how to change the oil, check the plugs, radiator, all that. Useful information to this day. After he was done, we'd go for a drive. In the back the never ending chorus of faster daddy faster came from Gary and I. My mother, hmmm not so much. He would fly. We had a Simca (sp) and a couple of coupe's that would haul boogie down the backroads of Hwy 41. Yes, THAT Hwy 41. (Ramblin Man).I believe I was born again around the age of five. I remember a kindergarten teacher reading to us about Jesus and I believed every word I heard. I often wondered why my father never went to church with us. I asked him when I was older. He was raised a Seventh Day Adventist and they had church on Saturday. He had to give up all sports for church and he couldn't stand fish which those people ate every Friday. So when he turned 18 he told his mother he wasn't going back. He didn't think God cared if he ate fish or not, and what was wrong with football. He could not believe that God would take the joys out of life. So he sent out to find God his own way. To my father, being alone on a pristine golf course to think, pray and ponder was as close as he could get. He often golfed alone.At 13 I got involved with a group from school, Campus Crusade for Christ. They are trinitarians and were trying to force it down my throat. One night, my father picked me up and that stuff bothered me so much I asked him about it. He pulled the car off the road and was quiet for a minute. Then he said, you have got to believe Jesus Christ was a man, he was born a man, he lived a man and he died a man. You gotta believe that. He was accentuating his point by hitting the steering wheel and I saw a tear streaming down his cheek. I had never seen my dad cry before and it hit my heart to the end that I believed my earthly father over what these people said to me. For that I am truly thankful.At 24, I chose to go into a Christian Leadership Training program, that those of us know as The Way Corps. I needed $4300 for tuition. My dependence on my dad had switched from my earthly father to relying on my Heavenly Father as my source for knowledge, love, support, and yes for food, clothing, and tuition. I asked my Heavenly Father how to get the money, as the spiritual partner thing seemed too chancy for my taste. He said to ask my father. So I did. I was logical, straightforward, but telling him how much it would mean to me as I wanted to serve God. All he said to me was yes, I never saw the money. He mailed it to Emporia. However, when I got to Emporia, on my bed was a note telling me to go to finance. So I did. I was told my father's check bounced. I laughed so loud and hard they must have thought I was nuts. Folks, my parents were loaded. So I used the phone to call my dad, who laughed too, and said lemmee talk to that Wierwille fella. I told him he was in Ohio, and I am in Kansas, he says put the financial people on the phone. Two minutes later they said he is sending another check. I asked what happened, they said he grabbed the wrong checkbook and wrote it on an account he had closed. He also said he would send extra for you to open a bank account for things you might need. I said ok. And it was done. My tuition was paid in full. And my $30 allowance.I was free of financial problems to be able to concentrate on what I was there for. For God to teach me. And He did. My earthly father sent enough for not only my $30 a month allowance, but enough so that I could help other people too. That blessed me.I was DFAC in October of my interim year. It was a right decision. John Townsend was loving, very loving, concerned about every heart involved, I always respected him for that. But, my father was so disappointed in me in "failing" he would not allow me to go home. So I spent two years estranged from my earthly father. It was hard. He wouldn't speak to me. But my fellowship with God continued to grow, as it does to this day. I trust God, He will not let me down. If I ask according to His Word, He will take care of it.In 1986 I almost back went into residence, changed my mind and decided to go WOW again. I loved being a WOW, I totally relied on God, from who I was going to be with and I never really cared where I went. Except for this time. I knew my daddy was close to the end of his life and I asked if I could be near them. So, Susan Pavlica, Chris Yetter and Melody Leffler and I left the Rock in Susan's car for Clearwater Florida. Only eight hours from my parents and dying or not, my daddy loved to drive. It was close enough.....They came down to see us in January. My daddy and I had had some talks through the year and cleared the air of my past misconduct. He met my boss at the drycleaners ( I loved that job) they genuinely liked each other. My mom loved my sisters and our house. It was a great time and I am very thankful I got to see them.In late July as we were winding up our year, we had a bunch of people over playing Pictionary of all things...(typical) and the phone rang, it was always for Susan or Chris so I didn't pay any attention, til Susan came to get me. It's your mom. The whole house got quiet. I remember talking to my mom and her telling me my daddy was in a coma. That's all I remember, except for a house full of people surrounding me in the kitchen. Praise God for family.I called my boss on Monday on his cell (golf course) and asked if I could use the work phone to call the hospital, he said fine, hurry, so I did. And once I got patched into his room a nurse answered. My heart sunk. I asked if he was awake, she said yes, and who is calling, I said his daughter, and she said he was expecting you and put him on the phone. Everything I had ever wanted to say to my father came rushing out. I knew this was our last talk ever until the return, and I wanted no regrets, not with my daddy. After all that, I heard what I realized later he had never said before. It was understood. I never questioned it, not ever in 27 years had I ever doubted it. He said he loved me. He said he forgave me for everything and said to keep on the path I was on, that I was doing fine. Then the nurse took the phone. My mom called that night and asked me how I knew to call when I did as he was only awake about 25 minutes. She was always clueless about spiritual matters. He went back into a coma quite soon after I called. That was a Monday. That Friday, July 31, 1987, my father fell asleep.My Heavenly Father made sure I heard the last words my daddy would ever say to me. Because our Heavenly Father loves us and wants us blessed. My whole life with God has been that way. Anything I have needed, God supplies. Anything my heart needs to know, God makes sure I find out. Everything His Word says will come to pass is going to come to pass.I am very thankful for my earthly father, he always took care of me, we had all we could possibly need, he taught me right from wrong and at one critical moment persuaded me to go God's way instead of man's. And taught me how to laugh in the most horrible of situations."Always find the funny, it helps you get past it." JGLI am also thankful I will see my earthly father again when Christ returns.I am even more thankful that my Heavenly Father will never die, and I will never be separated from Him. I am so thankful God is more perfect, more resourceful, more intelligent, more quickwitted and more of everything my daddy ever was.
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Comments

  • That was beautiful Janny. Your daddy was a wise man. I can't wait to meet him.

    I love that "Always find the funny, it helps you get past it". What a cool guy, and a wonderful daddy's girl.

    Ron
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