Honor Thy Father

Exodus 20:12 (KJV) Says "Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee." (KJV).

The above verse of scripture is found in the ten commandments that God gave Moses on Mt. Sinai. It is obviously important that we honor our Father, or God would not have made it a commandment, and promised us long life for doing so.

I am blessed to have had a Father that worked hard everyday to provide for me, my Mom, and my four siblings. My Father was a quiet man, but there was amazing strength felt in his mere presence. I grew up knowing without a doubt how very much he loves me, and that he would always be there for me no matter what. I love my Father tremendously.

My Father wasn't the disciplinarian around our house, but I knew that he trusted Mom's decisions, and that he stood by her, and supported those she made. He didn't say much in the form of correction unless myself or one of my siblings sounded the least bit sarcastic when speaking to my Mother. His means of letting you know that was not acceptable always came in the form of one liners like "girl, I know you're not talking to your Mother like that," and these one liners were delivered without him ever raising his voice. His brief comments on these occasions were all I needed to prompt me to apologize to my Mother for sounding sarcastic. I knew it must be a serious offense, or else my Father would not have said anything.  It was his display of respect for my Mother, and his disdain for disrespect that helped teach me how important the way we treat other people is. I came home once with a D on my report card, and my Father came in from work as my Mother was discussing it with me. He knew by her tone she was upset, and that something I had done was the reason for it. He stood quietly listening, and my Mother turned to him, and said she has a D in history, and I know that is not her best. If it were her best, I would be okay with it. Are you going to say something to her? My Father once again showed his support for my Mother by looking straight at me and saying,  "girl, you better do what your Mother says, and bring that grade up." I replied yes sir, and my Father exited the room. He had a loving quiet, way of making his point, and the kindness he used in doing so made you want to do the right thing. The last thing my Father would say after correcting me was "Daddy loves you." I will never forget that as it was powerful for me, and it impacted me in many ways one of which was the desire to work hard not to disappoint him.

My Father's presence at home made me feel safe growing up, because I knew he would protect me, and like most little girls my Father is my hero. He told me he loved me every night before I went to bed, and he never failed to tell me that as an adult. He did so whenever I was  leaving from a visit, or when our phone conversations came to an end.  Long talks with him were scarce, when I lived at home, but now that I'm grown we've had our share. I always enjoy them, and I always get a little more insight into my Father, as a person, with each one of them. The lessons he taught me, and the example he set for me are priceless, and my love, respect, and appreciation for him are beyond measure.

It's not until we are grown that we are able to see our parents as individual people, appreciate all they did for us growing up, and recognize the sacrifices they made. If you are blessed as I am to have a loving, kind, gentle, Father,  I encourage you to tell him how grateful you are that he's your Father, and how very much you love him. Tell him you count him among your blessings, and thank him for all he's done for you.

If your Father was never a part of your life, remember you have a Heavenly Father who was with you growing up, and is with you every step you take at any age. He loves, and watches over you always. If your Father has gone home to be with the Lord, as mine has, I encourage you to reflect on the cherished memories you have of him held deep within your heart.

If  you have a prayer request and would like me to pray for you, leave me a message and I will be more than happy to do so. May God bless you.