Memories In The Springtime

 

He made the moon to mark the seasons; the sun knows its time for setting.

Psalms 104:19 ESV

The beautiful season of spring is here.  A time to rejoice and enjoy the beauty of our Father’s creation.

Today, the first day of Spring and is also Father’s Day in Australia.

Remembering my dad with love.  I miss him so much. 

My father passed away on the 26 of August many years ago.   On that terrible day I lost my incredible and irreplaceable father.  A part of me died that day.  He was only 44 years old.   

 Memories of my father float in and out of my mind.  I think of him often and specially on Father’s Day.

My dad was my hero. As long as my papa was with me I knew I would be safe.  He was everything to me.  I knew he loved me. I trusted him even when I didn’t understand.  When I was sad he would cry with me.  Our relationship was cut short but it was super special.  He was kind, loving, compassionate, caring with a great sense of humour.

Because of my dad, my opinion of men in general was high.  I always wanted to marry someone like my dad.  But of course, that wasn’t to be and it didn’t take too long before I realised my father was one of a kind.  

When I was 8 months old my dad suffered a massive stroke.  It left him unable to speak, unable to walk.   He learned to speak and to walk with me.  One could almost say, my mum had two babies during that time. 

Although my dad learned to speak and walk again,  the stroke had affected his short term memory.   

When we came to Australia he began to take English lessons only to forget what he learned by the next day.    The pain and frustration he experienced during these dark moments was so great that many times I would hear him say “Jesus ven y llévame” translated “Jesus come and take me”.  I never gave these words another thought until one day in the future when I was made to remember.

My father hated the RCC with a passion.  My brothers and I were not allowed to go to confession.  My dad always told us kids, to confess our sins only to God.  His abhorrence for that church was such that whenever a priest or anything to do with the RCC appeared during a movie, he would turn the TV off until he felt the odious thing had passed.  It wasn’t until years later that my mum shared with us, that he had served as an alter boy in Spain.  What he saw, heard or experienced during that time, I will never know.  I only saw how it had affected his life.

About 25 years after my father passed away.  I became a Christian.  Glory to God!. One of the first things I asked the Lord with pain in my heart was: “Lord, where is my dad?” 

One day I was alone at home and reading the book of Romans.   Suddenly a particular verse jumped out at me: “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Romans‬ ‭10:13‬  and I was translated back in time to remember my father calling out to Jesus.  I cried that night for hours.

I have hope that one day I will be reunited with my dad again.

Beautiful spring weather and the memories of my father made this day special for me.

Our God is so good.

 

“And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.”
‭‭Revelation‬ ‭21:4‬ ‭KJV‬‬