“Significant
Days!”
I have been spending a great deal of time with my dad lately
until he died in the Lord on October 17, 2012.
He broke his hip on
September 25th.
He had been in the hospital and a nursing home since being taken by
ambulance from his farm. Those days leading
up to October 17th are going to be very memorable for me. I watched him quickly decline in health and
in spirit. I watched him deal with
intense pain. I saw him struggle to
gather his thoughts to express what he was thinking. That is the down-side of those days. The up-side of those days is that I got to
talk to him about his life and learn new things. I never knew that he got to play one game of
football and one game of baseball each year.
Otherwise, he had to work on the farm.
I also got to speak German to him because he spoke German and English
growing up. In his last five days, he
rarely spoke in English at all. He and I
never really spoke German to each other, but we did for five days.
October 17th has been a significant date for my
dad. His great-grandfather died on
October 17, 1890. He and his dad were in
a car accident on October 17, 1961, and his dad eventually died over a month
later from injuries sustained in the accident.
He even commented to me before that “maybe I’ll go on October 17th
too.” Yes, a significant day for him
during his life.
The truth is – every day has significance. My dad’s final days on earth are significant
to me, but so are all the days I spent with him from my birth until his final
days. I am vividly reminded that all
days have significance, and I want to remember that as I parent my own
children. The things parents do or don’t
do in the life of their child matter and are significant. As my dad is now in heaven, I’d have to say
that he is now living the most significant days he’ll ever have because he is
with Jesus!! Romans 8:28 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of
those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” My dad’s favorite verse.
Family Discussion Points!
What are some significant dates on the calendar for your
family?
Talk about your favorite family memories from the last year
– just to remind others of the significance of time together.
Talk about how significant it is for us to spend eternity
with Jesus above anything we accomplish here on earth.
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