You see, God has just totally blest me with 2 examples the most dedicated and selfless people to be my parents. Two people who have combined perfectly their talents and traits, who have shared in honesty with myself and my six older siblings the toil of their journey through life both physical and spiritual. They have brought us up in the fear and admonition of the Lord, and having given us a firm foundation, set us on the path of life and hopefully righteousness and heaven-bound glory.
A few words about Dad - If I get to 86 years of age and have to my name just half the achievements that Dad has then I would consider myself successful and rich indeed. Dad seeks no ego statement - no fuss nor pride here thanks. He just gets on with life and pitches in wherever he can help his family. He is one of the sort of people who can lead from the rear and not take the spotlight nor say much but his actions teach and say a lot. If I'm going to get to that halfway mark I've got a lot of catching up to do. Unbelievably by my age he had been working for 19 years and been married twice. (His first wife died during the birth of my eldest sister and they had only been married one year.) But from there he has had another 52 years of marriage, 6 more children, 40+ continuous years of kids in school. Ouch! btw he's also listened to a whole heap of cricket matches on the radio and TV - but I think I can pass up on the half of that achievement. (Give me a cycling's Tour de France any July! that's what I say.) And when Dad retired, he didn't take it easy, No way! He went to work for Mum as the HouseHusband and 'the man behind the woman' in her 'righteous' cause to make the world (well maybe just this piece of Australia) a better place for her children (us) and their children and their children's children.
My Dad, Harry, died without fear or pain on Monday 25th June 2001. Gone to be with our Lord. There was nothing in his life that was left undone in his death.
A few words about Mum - The other pillar of the family - once the spiritual and emotional hub - the life force - The life giver but now as sisters have married and moved on creating new families, a new role as a touchstone on life. Mum is definitely the mover and shaker in the family and the eternal optimist. She is Knower of all things and deviner of all our childish bad deeds. Sometimes we reckonned that she thought she was God - Whereas she would say - "God told me". If you had a cut finger - off to Mother who had the wisdom & power to heal. When you had a broken heart you would be comforted by an angel with empathy and tears. When in a conflict of the spirit that would mean one thing - time spent in counsel with Mother, prophet, and teacher of God's word, A problem of academic nature (excepting spelling problems which always got the best results with Dad the Dictionary) meant time in remedial learning with Mother the Teacher. Mum actually homeschooled me for grades 10, 11, & 12 whereupon I graduated with a composite score of 30 (98%ile) on the American College-entrance Test (ACT exam). (well after those 40+ years of continuous children at school you get to know a thing or two about educatin' a child.) If forgiveness is what your guilty heart needed then you found it in abundance when you approached her in repentance (maybe sometimes a little love inspired discipline with Percy Persuader was needed to bring you to that point).
Well I enjoyed telling you about my parents. I'd like to invite you to email me a couple of pages about your parents - who they are and what makes them so special to you and why you can possibly think they are the 'Bestest Parents' ever!! We'll see. :-p
So, I await your response! and look forward to it as well ! :-)
God Bless You and Your Parents and may He bring Healing and Peace upon your Household.
GhumBy
