“You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone. You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.” (2 Cor 3:2-3)

From praying before meals when I was a child to demonstrating a strong work ethic, my dad is a man of conviction who leads by example and supports and encourages his family.

When I was growing up, I learned the value of a good education by watching my dad earn multiple degrees and become a teacher. He didn’t need all those degrees to teach, but he enjoyed the process of learning, and he taught me to enjoy it as well. When he attended summer school in Stillwater, he took my brother and me to class with him a few times. It’s an experience I still remember to this day.

Each summer, we took a road trip to see his family in Nevada. My dad arranged for a variety of stops along the way so that my brother and I could experience many of the wonders of the West that we might not have gotten to see otherwise. From Disneyland to the Hoover Dam to the Grand Canyon to Old Faithful to the Ponderosa Ranch, we saw it all.

I discovered at a young age that my dad could do just about anything. As a welder, my dad could build or repair all sorts of things. One summer, he built an impossibly large swing set with a teeter totter, swings, tire swing, and couple’s swing along with a slide that was so tall that my brother and I became the envy of all the kids in the neighborhood. Thanks to our dad, all our friends came over to play with us for hours on end, and we loved every minute of it. He also built a playhouse for me that was a miniature version of the home we lived in. It even had cabinets and a real sink.

Another time, my dad took an old lawnmower that had seen better days and remodeled it so that it looked like a miniature Jeep. My brother and I spent countless hours taking turns driving that thing in circles around the yard.

When I was a teenager, he came to all my ball games, even when I rode the bench. He installed a backstop so that I could practice hitting for softball and a basketball goal so that I could practice my free throws. At my basketball games, he cheered for “Dawn,” his nickname for me (my middle name). This confused the parents around him, who didn’t know I had a nickname and thought he was cheering for another girl named Dawn on the team. I still get a kick out of that story as I picture the faces of those around him who couldn’t figure out why he wasn’t cheering for me.

For many years, he drove my brother over two hundred miles round trip every weekend to play in a hockey league. After we became adults, my dad and brother continued to play hockey together in the same league.

My brother and I can count on our dad to help us out whenever we need it. He’s usually there before we ask. Whether it’s repairing a car that’s stopped running, trimming branches, hanging a new screen door, or calling to see how we’re doing, my dad is always quick to lend a hand.

He has always been a Godly example for us, showing my brother and me the best way to offer to help to those around us. Each day, I’m thankful for my dad and all the ways that he has been there for me and my family.

Dear Jesus, thank you for my dad, whose life is an example I want to follow. Thank you that he watches out for our family and shows his love through his actions toward us. Amen.