A Memory for Father's Day

 “The Lord your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as he did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes, and in the wilderness. There you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place.” Deuteronomy 1:30-31 (New International Version)

I already had a Bible verse picked out for today, I was all ready to go with it. Then I remembered it was Father’s Day. What can I say about that?

When I first started this blog eight years ago, I wrote about the story of my life and how I got where I am today. One of those journeys which shaped me was how I moved to Colorado and how I came home again. I won’t reshare that now, just one glimpse of those days.

My friend Brenda and I moved to Colorado in the fall of 1984. The following spring, Mom and Dad came out to visit, or more like to check up on us. They called one night from Sterling to say that just couldn’t make it the last 150 miles, that they were going to camp there and see us the next morning. When I got off the phone, I looked at Brenda and my soon-to-be first husband and said we should drive out to meet them. That night, in the dark, over two hours away.

I can’t remember what time we left, but I think we got to the campground after midnight. All was quiet, and I didn’t want to wake them up, or anyone else in their tents and campers fast asleep. Brenda, Dan, and I tried to get as comfortable as we could in his Datsun and sleep until dawn.

As the sun was coming up, I peeked out the steamed up windows of the compact car and saw Dad walking around the camp. I flew open the door and ran to him. He was so surprised to see me when I threw myself into his arms. He laughed and hugged me back.

My dad, as most fathers of his generation, was not demonstrative. That was the first time I remember hugging him. I’m sure there were other times, and I do remember a few after that. But there was something about that morning, the cool stillness, surrounded by people sleeping in their own campsites. Mom inside their fifth wheel trailer probably just starting to wake up. Me, 1,200 hundred miles away from home for the past nine months. But there was Dad that morning, in that moment, no one else in the world.

Backing up a bit, when I left for that adventure to Colorado, Dad had given me something. So simple and almost silly, but I still carry it with me today.

Thank You, God, Heavenly Father, for sending fathers to their children. Guide them and guard them in the vital task they have been given. Amen.