Tuesday, May 31, 2011

To my daddy,

I love you. I'm sitting in your room watching you sleep peacefully. Well, sort of peacefully. The lady in the room next door is pitching a very loud fit because she can't have a Diet Coke. I'm half listening to her, because I'm nosey, and I'm half listening to you breathe. You are a popular guy. You've got nurses, doctors, and techs coming in and out constantly.

One of my memories of us, is when I ruined your lawn the week before I got married. I was feeling very thankful that you and Mom were footing the bill for my beautiful wedding, and I thought that I'd return the favor by surprising you with some lawn care. I got on my grubby clothes, along with some garden gloves, and got to work pulling weeds next to the deck in the back of the house. I worked and worked, and before I knew it, three hours had passed. The whole time, I was so excited for you to return home from work, and see the beautiful surprise.

A surprise it was. A beautiful surprise, not so much. I greeted you in the driveway, and took you buy the hand and led you to the backyard. Your mouth dropped open. But, instead of praise, came a big, "What in the world did you do?!?!?! It costs me hundreds of dollars and it took me three years to grow that ground covering!!!!" Ground covering? Hundreds of dollars? Three years? Oooopps. What I pulled out and destroyed were not weeds at all. They were, in fact, a fairly high quality of ground covering used to manicure a lawn. I can't help it! They looked like weeds to me!

We can laugh about it now (I think).

Not sure why this was brought to my memory today. It's just one example of how you extended grace to me when I didn't deserve it. Like the time I crashed your new S-10 pickup into one of my friend's car in a parking lot the day before Thanksgiving. I came in the house, and told mom first, and she said that I had to be the one tell you. Or remember the time I hit someone's car backing out in the school parking lot? You made me ring the doorbell of the victim's car and talk to them in person. Or the time I hit the brick pillar with the station wagon as I was going through the drive-thru at the bank? Or the time I knocked down our 15 foot Christmas Tree? Ahh...good times.

Thank you for disciplining me in love, and thank you for showing me how God operates---He lovingly corrects, and then restores us. You're the best.

Love, Bebs

1 comment:

Cara said...

Wow you have had a lot of car accidents lol jokes aside, your Dad acted Christ like and always forgave you :)