Happy Birthday, Daddy

 

Today is my daddy’s birthday. He would have been 70 years old.

In the last year as I saw Daddy getting weaker and weaker, I would beg God to let him live to be 70 and to reach his 50^th wedding anniversary (coming this July). I would think, “He is so close. Can’t You let him make it to those milestones?” I never told anyone I was praying these things.

It has now been almost 6 months since Daddy went to heaven.

My perspective has changed much, and now I feel silly even admitting that I prayed those things.

Daddy was so, so tired. He was weak. He had struggled and fought to stay with us for so long. In fact, he had been doing that for us our entire lives…literally. Not long before he died, he told Mama that when each of us was born (children and grandchildren) and he held us for the first time, he would pray and ask God to protect us. Not only that, but he would tell God to put the difficulties of life on him instead.

He loved us so much.

Daddy’s life was not easy. He endured much difficulty. He was not perfect, but He pointed us to God through difficult situations. He was the hardest working person I’ve ever known. We loved to make him proud. Even now, I find myself thinking about what Daddy would say about (fill in the blank). 

This week, I taught a lesson to 3^rd-6^th grade girls about the resurrection using the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead (John 11). I read that with an entirely new perspective.

My heart was anxious with Mary’s and Martha’s as they agonized over the sickness of their brother. They sent word to the One that could heal him and was told, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.” I’m sure they felt some relief then…probably thinking that Jesus meant to tell them that Lazarus would not die.

I’m sure confusion followed. Lazarus continued to get worse. Jesus did not come right away. Lazarus died. What was happening?  These sisters knew that Jesus was the Son of God. They trusted Him, but this was not making sense.

Their home filled with people coming to comfort them in their time of grief. (And bring lots of food, if they were like southerners.)

Then...they heard Jesus was on the way.

The Bible tells us that Martha jumped up and ran to meet Him, leaving Mary behind at the house. Martha is a go-getter, isn’t she? I imagine she had been preparing in her mind what she would say to Him…..”Where have you been? What took you so long? You said he wouldn’t die!”  Here is what we know she said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” She went on to say, “But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.”

Even though she was grieving and frustrated, she still believed something could be done.

Then, Mary left the house and came to meet Jesus. She fell at His feet to worship, but she also said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

 Of course, Jesus has been saying that all of this was happening to glorify God, but no one present could see the bigger picture…they could only see their current circumstances.

They all went to the tomb where Lazarus was buried. Jesus had them roll the stone away; then He called into the tomb, “Lazarus, come forth.”

Have you ever imagined what it might have been like to be there that day? Mary and Martha standing there with Jesus. The disciples and the crowd standing around watching...probably all silent waiting to see what would happen next.

Lazarus came walking out of that tomb still bound in the graveclothes. Amazing!

Up until now, I have always read that story and thought about how happy everyone was to see Lazarus again.

Now, I think about other things.

Admit it. If you had been standing in that crowd, wouldn’t you have been just a little bit scared?  I mean, cemeteries aren’t supposed to have people coming out of a grave….he had been there at least 4 days.

Then I think about Lazarus. What did Lazarus think? Was he sad that he had to come back to a sinful world?

Now, when I think about Daddy being in heaven, I think about how amazing it must be to be in God’s presence….to finally be at rest after working so hard….to finally be whole after being so sick. As much as I miss my daddy, and as much as I had hoped he would make those earthly milestones, I’m glad I can trust the timing of the One who sees the bigger picture.

Oh, how I wish I could talk to Daddy today. I loved getting to FaceTime him and hear all about his day.

I can also honestly say, that I wouldn’t want Daddy to leave the glories of heaven to come back here to us. That wouldn’t be fair to him. In God’s perfect timing, we will get to be with him one day.

Until then…I know that I’m not perfect. In fact, I fail a lot, but Daddy, I will do my best to follow your example of working hard, loving others, and serving God.

Happy 70^th Birthday!  (We will be at Cracker Barrel celebrating, because we are pretty sure that is what you would have chosen to do.)

I love you, Daddy.