Happy Father's Day, Dad!

It has been 9 years since my father passed away, and I miss him terribly.

Wanna hear how much God loves us? Here's my last memory of my Dad:

I never called off work. I never used my personal days because each one is worth money, so I saved them for my family. I saved my sick days in case my mom ever needed me if she went into the hospital (and she did). Because of my frugality, I was able to spend a week by her side in the hospital and then three weeks by her side at home, helping her any way that I could.

My parents babysat my boys while I went to teach at a local high school, but they did NOT like getting up early. So every night I drove the boys to their house where they took their baths and went to bed. Then I'd go downstairs and chat with my Dad for an hour or two. :o)

One day, I was sitting in the teacher's lounge getting ready to call my Dad. The Lord put it on my heart to use one of my personal days. As the Spirit spoke to my heart, I picked up the phone and called my Dad. He answered on the first ring, as always.

"Hey, Dad! The Lord was dealing with me to take a day off and rest tomorrow. I'm actually going to take a day off! So I won't bring the boys over this evening. You can take Mom to dinner and have fun!"

He laughed and said, "Fantastic! A date!" Then we spoke for a little while longer....

That was the night he died.

He had a massive heart attack, but my mom was able to spend those precious last minutes with her sweetheart instead of worrying about trying to protect my children (who would have been there if I had planned to go to work).

God in his sovereignty knew that he wanted to bring my daddy home that night, so he worked out a plan that would protect my boys, give my Dad a bit more privacy with his wife as he faced a path we'll all have to take eventually, and allowed my mother to focus totally on her husband.

Lord, thank you for blessing me with your love, mercy, forgiveness, and grace! I especially appreciate how real you've been to me, especially lately, and I know that you are always with me. Please let my Dad read this letter, ok? If not, then just let him know I miss him.

Dad, if God is letting you read this, please know that I love you! I miss you, and so do Shaq and Jamil. I'm trying to be a daughter you'd be proud of, and I hope you are...even from heaven. I miss calling so that you can help me work through my struggles, grinning that lopsided smile when I do something stupid, and just calming me down when I'm stressed. You were so protective and encouraging, and I miss that most of all. Thank you for doing such a great job, Daddy. I miss you.

With love always,

your daughter