As we approach Father’s Day, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on my own dad. While at an event recently, I heard someone ask the following question:
“If you could sum up your dad in one word, what would it be?”
I didn’t have to think long about this one. In my eyes, my dad has always represented one simple characteristic that has defined and continues to define who he is and what he is about. That word is — obedient.
The word defined is this —
o·be·di·ent/ōˈbēdēənt/
Adjective: Complying with orders or requests; submissive to another’s will.
That may seem somewhat odd to some of you, but the kind of obedience I am talking about is an obedience to God. He has lived his life as one who is submissive to Another’s will — obedient to God. Often foregoing the things he prefers to do, in order to do the things he was and is called to do.
My dad’s obedience to God:
- led him to be an example of meekness to our family.
- led him to humility in his service to his family, his church and his community.
- led him to do things that were beyond his own wisdom.
He has been patient with my brother and me – calm and slow to anger …not always easy with boys like us 
He has let us make our own way, allowing us to make our own mistakes and in-turn learn from them. My dad has never been a person that needed to have his pride or his ego stroked. His humility has shown me that I want to be a person of great humility, not one of great self-esteem, pride or ego.
Philippians 2:5-8a (MSG):
“5 Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself.6 He had equal status with God but didn’t think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what.7 Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human!8 Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn’t claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life…”
Dad’s focus has been and continues to be on obedience to God. Because of that focus, my dad has been “God with a face on” for me in my life.
Time and time again, he has made hard decisions — decisions that would move him from parents, children, lifelong friends and communities in which they had roots; decisions that would commit him to career changes and education/re-education. These decisions did not always make sense. Sometimes it was hard to see the wisdom in the decision – not only for him but sometimes to his family and friends. Obedience does not always make sense. In fact, sometimes it can be confusing. Despite these things, he was obedient.
Friedrich Nietzsche wrote,
“The essential thing ‘in heaven and earth’ is… that there should be a long obedience in the same direction; there thereby results, and has always resulted in the long run, something which has made life worth living.”
He has persevered with a long obedience in the same direction. He is leaving a legacy… a legacy that has made life worth living. It is a legacy I hope to pass on one day to my kids.
If you could sum up your dad in one word, what would it be?
-Nathan
P.S. Understand that while this is a tribute, my dad is very much still alive and kicking …and my dad could be beat up your dad. I love you, Pop!
