"Following In Dad's Footsteps"

One of the most heartwarming scenes to witness today is the loving interaction between a good father and his son. Right away you notice how the father dotes on the son, and how the son reverently looks up to his dad.

I'm constently reminded of how I saw my own dad; he was my hero and there was nothing that he couldn’t do. In our younger days my brother and I often went everywhere with him whether it was to his job, or the gym where he trained. We were afforded the opportunity to witness him in many facets of his life. Dad truly believed in the biblical adage of “train up a child…” with that said you can figure out that we grew up in church. In fact; dad was an ordained minister who would later become a pastor.

I recall how everyone in our large family always revered him and how people in our community respected him, and with moms help they raised four pretty decent kids. As we grew, dad dealt with each of us on a different level according to our various personalities. My sister was his little princess, my brother who was a year younger than I was the one he could easily pull pranks on, and my youngest brother was to dad what Gilligan was to the Skipper. But things were much different for me: being the first born my dad had greater expectations for me. The problem early on is that I had other plans for myself.

To be completely honest, I was very prodigal in my thinking. But no matter what or how I thought, dad always knew best and dad always had a plan. He’d often tell me that there would be no bums or jail birds leaving his house; and he meant every word. So from my mid-teen years till my early adult years I could be found with him almost daily because my dad believed that I should follow the same path as him. You can’t imagine how boring my summers were. While my buddies were attending summer football practices, I had to work with my dad on his tractor-trailer; and on Friday evenings I would be so tired from working that I often just wanted to sleep. During those long truck rides I’d often get an earful of do’s and don’ts; right and wrongs, one sermon after another…etc.

I thought that I was ignoring him, but to my benefit I heard every word. At some point I ended up serving my country in the military…just like my dad… I became a boxer…just like my dad… Would you believe me if I told you that in no way was I purposely attempting to follow that path? I tried everything that I could to not be like dad from gang-banging, to bar hopping. From being a booze-hounding, lie-swapping womanizer to eventually becoming a drug addict.

Then one afternoon, after an all-night crack smoking binge I realized that I’d finally reached my lowest point in life and I could no longer stand myself. Right away my thoughts went back to those many lectures that my dad would give me while we were on that tractor-trailer. By this time dad had gone home to be with the Lord, but his words came to me as clear as a bell. I could also hear my mother reminding me that whenever I found myself in a situation that I just couldn’t seem to bring myself out of, to just call on the name of Jesus…That’s what I did.

I guess you could say that dad’s ultimate plan for me was beginning to take shape. It only stands to reason that my dad never ceased to seek the Lord in reference to me and my siblings, because the very words that he spoke over our lives are still coming to pass. But here is the caveat; the path I now take wasn’t just a plan formulated by my dad. God set the wheels in motion before the foundation of the world.

Psalm 37:23 reads – “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way.”

So today according to plan I find myself doing many more of the same things that dad did. In fact, today I’m an ordained minister…just like my dad… With each passing day I find that I’m doing many of the same things that he did and I enjoy them just as much as he did, to the glory of God!

Even when I thought that I wasn’t paying attention to him, I was taking in every bit of his instruction and observing his actions very closely.  I was aware of his prayer time; our family studied the word of God together on a weekly basis. I listened intently to his sermons and gave equal ear to the many explanations and answers he’d given concerning biblical questions. I could often overhear the counsel he presented to the many visitors who came to our home seeking answers. Little did I realize then that one day I’d fill his shoes.

Jesus once said: “Verily, verily I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these…” John 5:19-20

This is so amazing; it does my soul good to know that not only am I walking in the path which God has designed for me, but I’m also:

“Following in Dad’s Footsteps”