“And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world
around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely
places. Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.” – Roald Dahl
I think this is the secular way of saying have faith. My Dad was a preacher. He studied it in college and his whole
life long. He spoke it, believed
it and lived it. I have never met
another pastor like him. My Dad
held a full time job for the government with benefits and regular paycheck
mostly because he was just a very responsible man and wanted to make sure his
family was provided for but his heart was preaching and serving God. Taking care of his family, friends,
neighbors anyone that needed a helping hand seemed to be how Dad lived each
day. We were always active church
members in the denomination he was ordained in. I guess it was about the time I got into junior high a small
country church, in a town about 50 miles away, he had helped to establish as a
young seminary student, asked him to return. The original pastor was ready to retire. The congregation was small so
attracting a full time pastor was probably not gonna happen. They needed someone to care about them,
preach on Sunday, visit the homebound, hold a hand and pray before surgery,
funerals, weddings, a shoulder to lean on, someone with encouraging words and
wise counsel all for pretty much gas money and maybe a little extra when they
could manage it. My Dad was ecstatic. Convincing my Mom was another
thing. She never liked sharing my
Dad’s time. I was not ever quite
sure what she thought being a pastor’s wife was all about but I guess that was
between them. I just know for the
next 6 years or so I went with my Dad every Sunday to the little country church
while my Mom continued to go, taking my little brother and sister with her, to
the local church we used to attend as a family. My Dad saw ‘magic’ and happiness in everything. If it bothered him that Mom divided our
family on Sundays, I never heard him verbalize it. I just know he and I had the best times ever. I loved those people and they sure did
love my Dad. He had the kind of
faith that could move mountains. I
hope I will always have his glittering eyes. kisses
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