Mom &
Dad
Do
not Grieve,
for
the Joy of the Lord is your strength.
Nehemiah
8:10
Whew! I step
out on my back deck to catch my breath and cool off a little. Saturday housecleaning works up a sweat quickly.
I lean against the rail and enjoy the cool November breeze against my face. Leaves floating down from the trees enhance
the full effect of this tranquil country neighborhood I’ve lived in all my life. The sun peeping through the trees.
As I turn to regretfully go back in I see them. I smile.
Mom and Dad taking their daily 2-mile walk up the road. Always together, always happy. Both retired now, they thoroughly enjoy
doing all the things they never had time to do before.
“Thank you Lord.” I whisper as I choke back a
sudden emotional lump in my throat. My parents have had their share of life’s storms. Both coming from dirt poor families,
Dad quitting school in the 8th grade to care for his younger siblings after their mom died. Yet, he went back years
later and finished his education. He made a living for his wife and kids as a carpenter, building houses and later, a locksmith
at the local college. In the last 15 years he’s battled heart disease, diabetes and most recently, Prostate Cancer.
Through it all, it has been my mother’s strength that has sustained our family, especially my dad.
As I watched them walk, I thought of how they complimented
each other. Both, having weakness’ and strengths, fitting together like 2 puzzle pieces, Happy. While eating lunch with
them recently, a friend of Dad’s walked up to say hello. His friend asked how he was doing. Dad replied “Oh, just
enjoying life.” The friend commented that life just wasn’t as much fun as it used to be. Daddy sat there, cocked
his head sideways and said, “I just don’t know about that, life just keeps getting better and better for me.”
I sat there smiling, knowing my Dad was speaking the truth from his heart.
Dear Lord, thank you
for blessing me with such wonderful parents and thanks for blessing them with
a joyful heart.
