I wanted to pick up the phone and call Dad, but the reality of his absence slapped me in the face. That was a hard day for me. The day reality set in.
March 6 comes and goes every year. Sometimes it’s a melancholy day, and at other times I have a moment of tears and then move on. But the day never passes without me remembering Dad. Either way, the day is etched deeply in my heart. That was the day the nurse said, “Sometimes the family just has to tell their loved one it’s okay to move on.”
Her words stung, and although I knew the hospital would never allow me to ask for too much medication to ease Dad’s distress, I asked for the maximum dose. The words grabbed at my throat, but his breathing was so labored, and our family realized Dad was hanging on for us. I wasn’t sure we had the strength to let go.
The psalmist lamented his reminder that God was the full source of his strength, an ever-present help. This promise was laid out for the taking and reinforces that our Father never leaves us. He is always right by our side—a whisper away.
Losing Dad in the early hours of March 6 is still raw. Dad was my strength. I wanted to call him the day I bought a new car or when one of his grandsons did something amazing. The cheerleader, the guide for me when trouble hit, had left us. In a breath, he was gone.
As I look back, I can see the tall, lanky man who instilled determination and a good work ethic in me. He’d walked away from God for years, but when he returned to Him, he proved that God was his strength and strong tower, and he continually showed that through the remaining years of his life. Dad truly found God, and though his loss was devastating, his new life was astounding.
I am grateful for a good earthly father who, even in times of trouble, found his way into the arms of the Savior. But I am even more grateful for my Father above. On this Father’s Day, look to the One who is your strength—the One who is your ever-present help—and rejoice in that love.
(Photo courtesy of pixabay and skalekar1992.)
Cindy K. Sproles is a best-selling, award-winning author. She is a speaker and a conference teacher who teaches nationwide. Cindy is the cofounder of Christian Devotions Ministries, www.christiandevotions.us, and www.inspireafire.com. She serves as a writing mentor with WRAMS (Writing Write Author Mentoring Service) and is the director of the Asheville Christian Writers Conference. Visit Cindy at www.cindysproles.com.