My dad would have turned sixty one years old today. I always remembered his birth date because he often joked that the United States created a special holiday in his honor. My dad made a lasting impact on me as a man, a husband, a preacher and a shepherd of God’s people.
His passion for preaching Christ and loving people was noticeably visible during his life. One of the many things I remember about my dad is his ability to serve people selflessly and sacrificially.
He had a huge heart for all people. He also would pay attention to the people that no one ever talked to. Whenever a church service ended or a social gathering concluded, he would always approach those who by society standards were not popular and held no prominent position. I don’t think he ever noticed this, but I always watched him do this from a distance. I literally stared at him when he would approach a person, ask them how they are doing, truly care for them and listen to their concern.
This is something that I am trying to emulate in my life. I can get so wrapped up in projects and blinking notifications that every thing around me becomes a blur. So in this small matter, my dad serves as a huge inspiration to me. He would be able to preach from the pulpit to over a thousand people. The minute he was done, I witnessed him caring for and helping the hurting.
He had this incredible ability to be extremely likable. People would find no problem sharing with him what was on their heart. It did not even matter how long he knew them for. He was so infused with Christ, that people saw this radiance emanate from him and wanted to spend time alongside of him. He always seemed to lose himself in helping other people and not really worrying much about his own well being.
Every time we would go on a trip with him, he would make sure that every single person in the vehicle was as comfortable as they could be. He would ask about this and would make sure that this continued throughout the trip. This happened not just with family members. Dad traveled a lot for ministry and I remember his approach to various people that came with us. His whole life was devoted to serving other people.
He did not do it for eye service or to gain a position or even to please people. He did this because His Savior served him first by dying on the cross and saving him. This was a gospel-centered position from which my dad functioned. This is what I am attempting to imitate in my own life. I want to be like my dad. Because my dad was like Christ. Today is the day my dad was born. In honor of his birthday, I am posting these brief reflections about him and this short film you can view below:
[tentblogger-youtube W93cjxKzFD0]
Question: What specifically have you learned about serving other people from the people in your life right now?
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