Thanks to our parents, my brother and I had a pretty darn good childhood. What they taught us and showed us had a direct impact on the kind of adults and parents we would grow up to be. As I've been living out cross-cultural mission experiences lately, I've been reminded of how much my up-bringing has affected not just me, but my kids' lives. In fact, I had a lady on the plane from Bangkok to Chiang Rai ask me what my parents did to expose me to a bigger world than just what was around me in 1960's and 70's Mississippi.
Here are some things I'm grateful to my dad for. He:
*told us stories and read to us.
*listened to our dreams without discounting them
*worked hard to provide for our family
*exposed us to different cultures, languages, and foods whether it was thru a day trip to Mexico or befriending international faculty members from his colleges
*encouraged our talents and provided chances for them to develop
*let us have lots of pets and taught us how to appreciate God's creations and care for them
*encouraged us to learn
*fought against racism and injustice
*took us to sites of historical and cultural significance
*celebrated our milestones and achievements
*built things for us and then gave us the tools to build our own creations
*opened our home up to those in need
*took us to church and taught us of God in the every day
*set the example of witnessing to, praying for, and ministering to both strangers and friends
*always supported missionaries and the importance of taking the gospel to the entire world
For those things and many, many others, I am very grateful for my dad and the important part he played in my life growing up and my life even now.
I love you, Dad!
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