New/ Dad

Well this is something new for me. I have been wanting to do this for a while now so I guess we will see how things go. I wanted to talk about my dad and was going through my Dairy and found this talk that I gave Father's Day 2007 and thought why not use it since dad's B-day was just a week ago.

My dad did the usual stuff dads did, he took me fishing, tried to teach me to swim, punished me when I was bad (which was quite often) took me on daddy/ daughter dates, read to me, but my dad was special.

Pres. Monson told a story several years ago about a dad that was special "Some time ago I overheard what I am confident is an oft-repeated conversation. Three very young boys were discussing the relative virtues of their fathers. One spoke out: “My dad is bigger than your dad,” to which another replied, “Well, my dad is smarter than your dad.” The third boy countered, “My dad is a doctor”; then, turning to one boy, he taunted in derision, “and your dad is only a teacher.”
The call of a mother terminated the conversation, but the words continued to echo in my ears. Only a teacher. Only a teacher. Only a teacher. One day, each of those small boys will come to appreciate the true worth of inspired teachers and will acknowledge with sincere gratitude the indelible imprint such teachers will leave on their personal lives.
“A teacher,” as Henry Brooks Adams observed, “affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.”

My dad was not a teacher by trade but in our home he was and until recently I never realized how much he taught me.

1st off you have to realize that my Father was not raised in the church and did not join until I was almost 5. I remember we lived in Italy at the time and my parents where investigating the church. My dad had an old antique English mantel clock that he had bought somewhere I'm not quite sure. Well we didn't have a mantel but a old steam radiator and the clock sat on a shelf that was on the radiator. My 4 yr old curiosity got the better of me one evening and I pulled the shelf down to the floor and as you can guess the clock broke. My father who at that time was not the best controller of his temper came flying to me and picked me up (I was thinking the worse and started to cry) he took me in his arms and made sure I was not hurt and told me that it was OK, he hugged and held me and comforted me never getting angry with me. I now relize that he was forgiving me just as my Heavenly Father has forgiven and continues to forgive me of my short comings. In that simple act he was teaching me something about how my earthly and Heavenly fathers are very much alike. To this day that clock has never worked but my dad still has it and still loves me.

I also remember about a year later I was getting ready to start school we had moved (another thing to know about my dad if you didn't know is that he was in the Air Force so I was raise a military BRAT, and I know I personified the brat apart) this time I was playing and fell and broke my arm again I was picked up and held in the loving arms of my Dad as a friend drove us to the Hospital. I remember no matter how hard he tried to keep me from feeling all the bumps in the road I felt very one of them. But I also remember that my dad gave me a blessing that I would begin to heal. I don't remember the words of the blessing and I don't think it was the first but one of the 1st of many that he gave me through the years as I was sick or injured, or as I began school or went off to girls camp etc. My dad used his priesthood to bless me so that I could once again feel the great love that my Heavenly Father has for me. In those special moments when he was giving me those blessings he was teaching me that I wanted to have that special power in my home at all times. So when I decided that I was ready to get married I wanted a special person that had the priesthood so that I could always feel Heavenly fathers love when I needed it. The night before I was to marry I asked my Dad to give me a blessing thinking that since I was no longer going to be living within his home it would be my last from him how wrong I was because there have been many times when I have hands of my loving dad and loving husband placed upon my head together and felt the love of Heavenly Father bless me.

One other thing I thought of when given this topic was how much time my father gave me. He was busy with his job and all things that he had to do but I remember that when ever I needed to talk to him he was there. Just as Heavenly Father is always there when we need to talk we just have to be willing to call upon Him

I have seen another dad teach his daughters in the same fashion as my dad taught me. My husband continues in the same way to teach Elisabeth and Evelyn that they are special to Heavenly Father. The girls might not realize it now but one day they may be asked to talk about their dad and how he helped them become closer to Heavenly Father and I know that they will think back to the memories that they have and realize that though simple acts their dad guided them too.

With small and simple acts my dad shaped my life so that I would know that I have a loving Father in Heaven who cares for me as much as my dad does. I wish my father was here today so that I could tell him how much I love him, and I know that because of his teachings I have a testimony that my Heavenly Father loves me.

In closing I would like to leave you with a quote from Harold B. Lee that I have modified a little “The most important work you will do for Heavenly Father will be within the walls of your own home.” Fathers remember that you are teaching your children whether you realize it or not.