Thank You Dad

Thank you Dad for being who you were. Thank you for your heart for Jesus. Thank you for living the life in front of me. Thank you for the patience you had with me. Thank you for your love. Thank you for your prayers. Thank you for your endurance and kindness when I rejected what was most important to you, when I didn’t want to listen to you, when I rebelled against Jesus. Thank you for being proud of me, thank you for believing in me.

I didn’t appreciate your heart until after you died. I didn’t accept Jesus while you were still on this earth; yet I know that you know that I have now. I know you see and are proud of me. I know you are part of that “great cloud of witnesses”. I miss you. I know you will be the one to greet me at the gate, or in the sky with Jesus when He comes with all the saints to collect the ones remaining on the earth. Thank you for watching over me and interceding for me.

I’m sorry for not loving you the way I should have. I’m sorry for not caring the way I should have. I’m sorry for not listening and respecting you at times. Please forgive me.

I am taking care of Mom and I promise you right now I will spend more time with her. I’m soon to be retired and I want so much for you to see and to respond to me in that place in my life. I will use the increase of time I will be given to spend with Mom, to spend with Jesus, to spend in volunteer service to Jesus and to work on my health and wellness.

I forgive you for spending so much time and energy with other people and not with us, me, your family. I know you did that because you felt rejected by me, by us. I’m sorry and ask your forgiveness for doing that to you. Please accept my apology.

When I think of you, I think of kindness, laughter, love, giving, acceptance and mercy. You are the most holy and spiritual man that I’ve been blessed to know. You were and still are a tremendous influence in my life. You have a love for God and for God’s people that I admire. I want to be humble, giving and accepting of others as you were in your life.

I think of you many, many times and know you are pleased with the heart that I’ve developed. I love you Dad and I’ll see you on the other side.