My Father, My Father: An Ode to a General
”For every soldier called to active duty must divorce himself from the distractions of this world so that he may fully satisfy the one who chose him. An athlete who doesn’t play by the rules will never receive the trophy, so remain faithful to God! The farmer who labors to produce a crop should be the first one to be fed from its harvest.“
2 Timothy 2:4-6 TPT
You were a general before it became fashionable, leading was what you did best. You were a builder, a pioneer – always breaking new grounds, a standard, and a plumb line. You lighted the world, you shone so radiantly and yet so humbly. Your whole life is a leadership course and what it means to lead from the front. You put into us a burning desire to serve, a vision of that service and what it means to the Lord, you painted a picture so vivid and helped us to see our place in it all. No one is exempt or left behind, all hands on deck in the Lord’s purpose…Thank you, Dad!
You studied and were always eager to present yourself to God and men approved (tested by trial), a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing and accurately dividing [rightly handling and skillfully teaching] the Word of Truth. Your ministrations were always a delight, listening to you creatively weave the tapestry of God’s grace with humour, songs, and stories was a joy! It reminds me of the scripture, Your words were found, and I ate them. Your words became my joy and my heart’s delight. For I bear Your name, O LORD God of Hosts. Jeremiah 15:16
The Apostolic Church was not just a ministry where you served, it was home, it was beyond an assignment, it was family. You and Mom would intercede ceaselessly for God’s will over the church. You just wanted to see the work of God progress and it doesn’t matter who takes the glory. Seeing others succeed gave you great joy and you never run out of ways to serve others. You taught me that prayer is a love language.
Your love for God, for the body of Christ – the unity of faith, for education, for family, for humanity remains a masterclass in living and letting others live. For you, it doesn’t matter how juicy an offer is, or how great the reward is, if it’s not in service of God and humanity you want no part in it.
You’re not one to shy away from anything. You made your debut to the world in grand style, lived grandly, and then took such a graceful exit.
Dearest Daddy, I am blessed that I got to call you my dad. You were a billion yards of dad material. Thank you for living and leaving a worthy legacy! Thank you for showing up when it mattered most. You were always on a rescue mission, a dad even till the very last minute.
You had one of the most incredible work ethics and discipline ever! Your life was built on the principles of the kingdom, God above all else. Thank you for living above mediocrity and reproach. Your life is a lesson and a legacy, I’m glad I got the front-row seat to watch you live it out.
Thank you for gifting the world with your BEINGNESS, thank you for gifting me and my siblings with your beingness. You loomed larger than life, you had it together even in the toughest seasons. You stood strong for your family in the best way you knew how to. You fought hard for us and sacrificed without holding back. Thank you for showing me the possibilities of life totally yielded to Christ, a Master builder who built on the foundation of Christ till his last breath, a soldier fully persuaded by the command of his master, a master athlete focused on the race set before him. You carried such an irrevocable conviction of your assignment and calling, you focused on your focus! You knew your strengths and leveraged them excellently.
You have entered into the assembly of the firstborn registered in heaven, right into the ranks of just men made perfect. You’ve served faithfully and now entered into the joy of your King and Father.
I’m glad I got to tell you how much I loved you every opportunity I got while you were here. What blessedness to love and be loved by you! The best language in the world or the words of a skilled orator will never be able to fully capture nor vividly paint the picture of my love for you Daddy. I will forever be grateful for the gift that you are to me and for me, the opportunities you gave me to fly, and the support even when you didn’t understand the process but you kept trusting and praying. Thank you for holding space in the difficult moments, and for being kind and considerate when nothing else would heal the pain. You believed in me when you had no reason to, stayed in the trenches with me, and dug deep until we found water. What a joy to call you DADDY! You had your quirks and they made you all the more adorable. I love you Dad, I do!
Till the resurrection morning when we meet to part no more, Rest in Glory and Peace Dearest Daddy. I miss you more than I ever knew possible but I’m also comforted that you’re with our Father – ABBA. I will see you on the other side someday♥️