Thursday, June 12, 2008

"Making Memories for Father's Day"

This Sunday, June 15, is Father's Day. Memories are ready to be made every day, but especially around Father's Day. Don't miss out on making those memories no matter where you are or what you're doing. Even doing a chore for and with your Dad can turn out to be one of your favorite memories that you'll cherish for years to come. Here are some of my memories of Father's Day 2005.

I had the best Daddy any girl could ever want, dream about, or ask God for. He went to heaven August 8, 2005. His last Father's Day was one in which he made a valiant effort to celebrate even though his body was already extremely weak from stage 4 colon cancer that had metastasized to his gall bladder, liver, adrenal glands, lungs, bones, etc.

On the Saturday before Father's Day 2005, Daddy sat in a lawn chair in the garage and tried to hand-wax and polish his Ford F150 supercab navy-blue pickup. Mom and I quickly volunteered to help him once we discovered where he was and what he was doing. Since Mom and I are both "fairly short" it was pretty funny for us to be seen climbing all around on Daddy's pickup trying to reach the top of the cab and get the hood waxed and polished all the way up to the windshield. We eventually had to get a stepstool to complete the job, but Daddy had fun supervising "his girls" who were doing their very best to do a job worthy of his "stamp of approval."

Daddy, Mom and I went to Church that Sunday of Father's Day 2005 and then we took Daddy to eat catfish for lunch. He used to love to go fishing with his brother, Bob, and a meal of catfish was one of his favorites. Daddy was so worn out, weak, and tired that he could hardly sit at the table to eat and he had no appetite--but he wanted to go out to lunch after Church and be with his family on Father's Day. That's a special memory that will linger in my heart, mind, and soul for the rest of my life. For a long time after Daddy died it was difficult for me to even drive by the catfish restaurant without crying. God heals broken hearts though and now I cherish the memory and have released the grief to Him.

Sure it still hurts for a girl not to have her Daddy at Father's Day; and yes, my heart is still broken and I'm crying even as I type. But I am so thankful to God for the especially wonderful Daddy that He gave me and for all the memories we were allowed to make through the years. I truly was Daddy's little girl and am grateful for the Christian life he lived.

I plan to celebrate Father's Day 2008 by recalling all the memories I can of my special Daddy, Charles (Charlie) Edward Broyles. Whether I end up laughing or crying over those memories, it is my privilege to celebrate the life of such a godly Christian man that God picked out to be my Daddy.

Don't miss out on making memories with your Daddy this weekend!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
© 06-12-08 by Janet F. Broyles
This devotional is protected by copyright laws and may not be reprinted or posted to a site without permission from Janet F. Broyles. All readers are welcome to forward the devotional to a friend or link to it. If you would like to seek permission to reprint the devotional in full, please leave a message for me here.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~