My Father...

As many of you know, my father went home to his Abba Father on September 5, 2021. This was a shock to all of us for so many reasons. Words cannot begin to express my heartache over his leaving us so soon. We had his Celebration of Life service on September 14, 2021, and my brother and I both took the opportunity to share some thoughts with those that were able to attend. For those that were not able to attend the Celebration or that may not have known my amazing, intelligent, creative, funny, loving, helpful dad, here are the words I shared this past Tuesday:

Dear Dad,

        Thank you! Thank you for guiding me toward our Abba Father. Thank you for calming me when nightmares woke me. Thank you for encouraging my writing. Thank you for praying for my husband and our marriage. Thank you for driving me all over and waiting endlessly while I shopped. Thank you for rubbing my shoulders when they were sore or I needed to calm down. Thank you for holding your grandbabies in the sunlight to help heal them. Thank you for working hard for Mom, Bob, and me. Thank you for being interested in my interests, even going to the Caryvention with me. Thank you for taking us all over this country on adventures to see family, attractions, and God’s beautiful creation. Thank you for taking my four to Dollar Tree and on other little outings. Thank you for welcoming Tony into our family. Thank you for desiring to sow into the marriages of your children. Thank you for staying with and praying over Mom through her long hours, days, and months of healing. Thank you for showing those around you the love of Christ in actions and words. Thank you for reaching for your dreams and living many of them out. Thank you for being my amazing, funny, kind, encouraging, hardworking, sweet, intelligent, Christ-pursuing, loving, dreaming father.

        Your life has been a testament to God’s goodness. He drew you to Him and you answered and accepted his grace, love, and forgiveness. You lived a life full of and overflowing with God’s fingerprints. They were evident to many who knew you. Even if it wasn’t quite clear to them what or who they were seeing in you, they knew you were different somehow by your character and integrity. I can only hope that Tony and I and our children can carry on your legacy…that we can live lives that shine God’s goodness and grace the way yours has. We will set about honoring you and remembering you as we do the things we talked of doing together, whether camping or adventuring in some other way. Your memory in our hearts will be a catalyst to share the truth of God, our heritage, and our future hope with all we meet. To live in this way is to remember…to live in this way is a way to get us through each new day without you.

        I am truly thankful that God gave me you as my father. Words, although helpful, can never fully express what is in my heart at this moment. Life is a series of moments, fleeting swiftly in the current of time, yet all the moments of you have added up to touch many, many, many lives in ways that you may never have known. I will ever be grateful for all the many ways your life has touched mine, Tony’s and our children.

        I love you! I will remember, as it speaks of in Nehemiah 5, “all that [you] have done for [your] people.” Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the love you gave and all the moments we had.

 

Love,

Your daughter, Jolene Carol

P.S. Give Shannon and Toby a hug for me.

*Remember to embrace the moments God gives you each day!
















 

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