Ok first of all: Dad! If you’re reading, please stop and wait until November 18th to read this!
I love my dad! I love him a lot. This Sunday is his 50th birthday and it’s killing me that I won’t be able to be with him on his day. I won’t even be able to call him or text him because I won’t have wifi. He is amazing in every way and deserves to be celebrated big time, so I’m sad that I can’t be in America to do that. I’ve been praying that Jesus would celebrate him an extra amount for me. This week I’ve been thinking about him a lot and how much he means to me and how blessed I am to have him as my earthly dad. So, I thought I’d just write a blog because that’s ALLLMOST (not even close) as good as telling him in person.
My dad is amazing! If you haven’t met him, you need to. In my personal opinion, he is one of the best people ever. He is wise and also wicked smart. I’ve learned so much knowledge from him but also gotten to gain so much wisdom from the way he lives and speaks. He is SO SMART but also so humble. I’ve never known someone who balances these characteristics so well.
He is absolutely hilarious and makes me laugh all the time. I also love making him laugh. He doesn’t take life or himself too seriously. He’s patient and kind and sensitive. He’s made so many huge efforts to pursue me and love me well over the years. We’re really different and sometimes we don’t understand each other, but he always works to try and know my heart and understand me better. He is so easy to talk to and gives the best advice. My dad is also the hardest worker that I know. He throws himself into every project and has taught me the value of working hard and setting high expectations for yourself.
There are about a million things I could say about him. He is actually just amazing. He loves and leads our family so well, and I love to see the way he loves my mom deeply. He’s set my standards really high for what a Godly husband and father should look like. My favorite thing about him though is that he never hesitates to obey Jesus. He’s modeled that for our family even to the point of obedience when it seems crazy (that’s how you know it’s real). His obedience through my life is so much of the reason that I’m currently in Cambodia.
Since being apart from my dad, I’ve grown so much in my understanding of how amazing he really is and how blessed I am to have him in my life. He is such a good picture of my Father’s love and pursuit of me. I am so blessed to be able to have a dad that gives me a glimpse of the unfailing and steady love of Jesus. He isn’t perfect, but because he loves Jesus and is committed to loving and obeying Him, his love mirrors my Father’s for me. I miss him deeply but being far from him has taught me how to draw close to the love of Jesus and let it fill me, and it’s also shown me how cool it is that I have a dad who loves me so well.
Thank you, Jesus, for my dad. Praying that he’s showered with the love and honor that he so deeply deserves on his day. Praying that he’s celebrated by those he loves and by The One who loves him best.
I love you, dad! Happy birthday from me from Cambodia. Wish I could hug you! Sending all my love! You are incredible and I don’t know how I got so blessed to have you as my dad. I miss you! See you when I see you xoxo
