*updated to add/clarify that my mom and dad married when I was three and my dad adopted me the next year.
Dad, I was going to make you a Happy Birthday list too, but as I was sitting here thinking about what to put on it I couldn't get past number one. Not because I couldn't think of anything else to list, but because number one means so much to me that the others pale pitifully in comparison. So I decided to elaborate on number one instead of listing 55 others.
1. You chose to be my father.
I can't even type that sentence without crying. The gratefulness in my heart for that decision is beyond measure. You could have just let me be Tammie's daughter. You could have let me have to go visit my "real" dad while you and mom and Andrea and Kara had your weekend. You could have decided to love mom like your wife and me like your step-daughter.
But you didn't.
And I am completely convinced that God used your decision to be my "real" dad to forever alter the course of my life. Your decision to love me, to choose me gave me worth and value that gave me purpose. Obviously, as a child I had no idea what God was accomplishing through your choice, but now as an adult and a parent I am starting to grasp the greatness of the effect it had on me.
When I say it changed my life I mean it VERY literally.
You choosing me was an example in my life of how God chooses me. You showed me the love of Christ in a way that is similar to laying down your life for someone.
I love you so much and I am forever grateful to you for choosing to be my dad.
I pray your birthday is the BEST!!!!
Bridge
3 comments:
Thanks for making me cry like a baby! I love love you too Bridget's dad!!!!
Ahhh, this brought tears to my eyes too!! What an amazing blog about your dad. Made me think about how God can do the same for my little one :) Thanks for the encouragement from this and
Happy Birthday Bridget's Dad!!
I have two men that I am blessed to call Dad. Ironically, I didn't ever call my step dad anything other than his first name until I was an adult. Not to offend him, but I just felt like, I had a Dad and now I wold just have a step dad as well.
But after I grew up, literally and figurativly, I realized what a tremendous impact my step dad had upon my life. I grew up with him and my mom from the time I was around 6, and saw my "real" on on the weekends and vacations. But there was one huge difference...my step was a believer. He had such a hand in my personal relationship with Christ, and I am forever grateful.
His name for many years was just Mike...but when grew up I called him by his real name, Dad.
And, on a side note, our daughter Micah is named after him.
What a beautiful tribute. You have blessed my once again girl!!!
Happy Birthday "DAD"
April
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