Father to the Fatherless

For some reason, I have a knack for remembering dates and numbers.  For example, I can remember the phone number we had when I was growing up at home…as well as the phone number for our neighbors who lived down the street! I also still remember birthdays and anniversaries for people I haven’t talked to in years. Well, today is one of those dates that I always remember. It is the date my father was killed in a car accident 41 years ago. It was the day life suddenly changed for my mom, sister and me. I’m sure it was not what my mom imagined for her life when they married almost 7 years before that day. Looking back, I realize that it could have been an event that set my family on a course that would greatly impact our identity since my father was no longer there. In some ways we were impacted. However, what I focus on today is the redeeming power of God. He did not leave us alone on March 31,1973. God provided for us through the years, and we never went without. We had tremendous support from our extended families on both sides. My sister and I were even blessed to graduate from college despite the fact that we did not have the funds to do so. God has been there all along and has given us His identity. The three of us are serving God and happily married, and my sister and I now have families of our own. Yes, we missed a lot not growing up with our father in the home, but we found God to be the Father to the fatherless! Our path was certainly not one that we would have chosen, but I don’t reflect with regret. I rejoice in God’s power to see us through and establish his glorious plan in our lives despite the path we had to take to get to where we are now.

I encourage those of you who may have experienced an unexpected event in your life or those who feel that you are “off course” to trust God to manifest his plan and purpose in your life in spite of where you are right now. Stay tuned for future blogs as I explore the topic, “God’s GPS.”