June Column

Headline: "Dad always had a great roadmap for life"

Two of Daddy's favorite sayings are, "I've been around the block a few times" and "If you knock on enough doors, you will find a job." Some fathers arrange marriages - my daddy arranged summer jobs. So, as a teen, I did not need to knock on doors because a job was already waiting for me when school was out for summer "break".

The typical summer job involved standing on a hard floor in a place with no air conditioning. Most likely an early-morning shift. But, even though I would go home with cotton in my hair and eyelashes, or feeling faint from the heat after steaming names on uniforms all day, I learned some valuable lessons about work ethics. And, in the process, I had the privilege of meeting some of the most honest, hard-working people in the world.

When I started driving, I did not have the luxury of a computer, cell phone, GPS, or Mapquest. However, I was blessed to have "Dadquest" directions. Daddy was a truck driver for 32 years, could interpret any map, and had my full confidence that he could get himself - or anyone else - wherever they might choose to travel in the United States.

Over the years, an important part of each journey preparation was to ask Daddy to look at the map with me. After studying the map, he would determine the best route and would write it out for me. I always trusted that Daddy was guiding me in the right direction. And, I can honestly say that he never steered me on the wrong path, even when he wrote out the 1100 mile route to Texas when I entered the Air Force in 1978.

In a similar way, our Heavenly Father wants us to go to Him as we prepare for our life journeys. We are wise if we ask Him to look at the map and write out the best route for us. But, we are even wiser if we choose to follow His written directions. The truth is that our Heavenly Father has already given us written directions in His Word. It is our task to trust Him enough to stay on the course that He has provided for us to follow.

If I had chosen to ignore my "Dadquest" directions in 1978, I could have arrived in California instead of Texas. The Air Force would have definitely frowned on that! Choosing to ignore God's directions can lead to our arrival at a place where we truly do not want to be. Just ask the Prodigal Son. Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us to "trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths."

Max Lucado wrote that we never outgrow our need for a father's love. Daddy turns 88 this month, and spends a lot of time in bed because of pain. But, I happen to know that he lies awake every day and prays for his wife of 60 years, his children, and his grandchildren by name. I hope that Daddy never thinks that we no longer need him. The truth is that we need him more than ever. Through many life detours and bumps in the road, we desperately need Daddy's love and wisdom to help guide our paths. Who can argue with someone who has 26 safe driving awards? And, after all, Daddy has been around the block a few times.