As soon as I saw the photograph, I knew I would write about it one day.
We sit side-by-side, my dad and I. He has his arm tight around me, a big smile on his face. We are both holding my first book…a book dedicated to him, and without whom, its words would never have been written.
And how glad am I, how I have prayed for this day…that in his declining health, my dad would still be able to read my dedication to him. And he does!
And when I show him the photograph, he says his favorite word… ‘splendid’. And with a twinkle in his eye, he adds, ‘That’s splendid Glenys, you should put that photograph in every book!’
And I am astonished as I look carefully at that picture again…..to note the difference in my dad and I, and how, yet again, even though he is 90 years old, he is still teaching me…
Because when I first see that photograph, I look at myself first. I check my hair. I check my smile. I check my pose. I look okay.
But when my dad first sees that photograph, he looks at me first. He sees his daughter with her first book; he sees God; he sees the little child who will open its pages to meet Jesus there. He does not look at himself; he does not see that he is still wearing his plastic bib, or that underneath he is wearing his dressing gown, because it is after 6pm and he is ready for bed.
My dad sees only what is ‘splendid’…so splendid, in fact, that he would be willing to share this photograph with the world. And this I marvel at….because it is never about him, but always about someone else.
And so this is my prayer for this little book….let it not be all about me, but let it be all about God, and the little hands that will one day open its pages.
Ok. Crying. Beautiful words
Thank you Sue! That’s my splendid dad!
Splendid indeed! Lovely words to remind us all to open our hearts to the love of God that we have available to us through those close at hand.
Thank you Jon! In the words of Paul, he truly has ‘lived a life of love’, a marvelous example that I hope to emulate.
What a wonderful tribute to your father. I don’t know either of you personally, but thanks for sharing how a daughter and earthly father can have such a beautiful relationship that mirrors our relationship with our Heavenly Father. Blessings to you today.
Thank you so much Mike! Many blessings to you also!
Yes Glenys, if only we were half like your Dad, the world would be a better place. I hope many little hands will hold your book and see God!
Glenys, I am a new subscriber. Crystal Bowman has edited some of my work. She is, indeed, ‘splendid.’ I believe your dad started a new trend with his favorite word ‘splendid.’ Your poignant article captures so many emotions we feel about our aging parents. I’m so glad you and your dad are able to share your success! May many little hearts and hands hold “Love Letters From God.” Splendid!
Hi Lynne! Thank you so much for commenting here! I am so glad that you ‘found’ Crystal Bowman…she has been a huge blessing in my life. Many blessings on your writing endeavors.
So beautiful Glenys. Your dad must be so proud of you and I know you are of him. He is such a wonderful man and so proud of all his family. Thank you for this … I was thinking the other day with sadness that I will probably never see him again, but this is the next best thing. 🙂
Thank you so much Andrea!
Oh my goodness, how special!!! What a great tribute to your Dad. So people will meet him and know him through your book. And you will point them to our Heavenly Parent as well. You are a treasure!
Thank you so much Sandra!
Glenys, that is so touching. What a wonderfully splendid dad we have – and you are so like him! I hope you are sending this post to Dad and Adrienne x
Well if I can be like dad, I will be happy!
Beautiful words and tribute, Glenys! The wisdom and sacrifice of our parents is so hard to grasp while they live, yet sadly we often wait until they aren’t with us to realize the impact they have on our lives. I’m so glad you saw your Dad’s impact!
Yes…that’s so true Sally! I praise God I saw it too!
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Tears are falling – happy ones. Your dad was such a special person and he has raised some amazingly special children! Blessed to be your friend, Glenys.
I posted a review of your book on Amazon – should I have posted it somewhere else?
Oh, bless you for those lovely words Anita. It always helps me if you could copy and paste your review onto Zondervan, Barnes & Noble, or christianbook.com sites. Thank you so much!
okay, will do that 🙂
Beautiful! Now that is just simply beautiful!