My dad was exposed to Christianity as a youth from multiple members of his family, but it never really took hold. As he grew up the dysfunction of a dad deserting the family played a huge role in causing faith to be shoved to a hidden corner. My mom’s stepfather was a firm advocate of reincarnation which became accepted by their family, even though her mother had professed Christ as savior. So when they married, there was a mixed bag of spiritual beliefs, with little focus. However, before my dad left for WWII he asked mom to take my brother Jim to church and pray for him while he was overseas. The closest church in the neighborhood was a Christian (Denominational) church. She did as she was asked and while he was gone, embraced the faith and her life was changed forever. When dad returned, I was born a couple years later and then my sister. During that time mom continued her faithfulness, and took us to church while dad worked several jobs and went to school.

As Theresa and I grew up, we attended churches with Sunday school classes which encouraged projects producing spiritual mementos for our parents. One Sunday, my sister drew a picture of an angel praying on a book marker.  She gave it to dad and told him he was an angel. That incident changed his life. I remember him telling his friends that if his daughter thought he was an angel, he had better learn what one acted like. His commitment to Christ never wavered from that day forward. My sister’s words created an unforgettable event that changed his life forever. Whether it is a single event or events leading up to a special moment, each of us can look back and say: “that was the moment.”So it was when Nicodemus agreed to repay all he had stolen, Constantine had his vision of the Cross, and after graduating from Seminary Martin Luther understood the role of faith rather than church membership for transformation in his life.

Being a part of a family with a Christian heritage does not “grandfather” you into eternal life. That requires a personal moment between you and God. You can be baptized multiple times, as I was because you feel compelled to make a “decision” by your parents or church leaders. The truth is that life is not just about decisions, it is about relationships and how those relationships impact our decision making process.  It’s the difference between being sorry because you were caught doing something wrong instead of admitting your mistakes before being found out because you don’t want to damage a relationship. It is a heart issue, not just because you feel compelled to comply. God wants you to have a relationship with Him because we love Him. After all He loved us first – despite who we are. We need to be close to Him, value His wisdom and depend on His love, intercession and protection.

Kids, the reason you feel love from me is because I feel love from God. I am simply passing on to you what was given to me from God and His servants, my parents. Everything I know about God was built on the fundamentals taught day by day, hour by hour by mom and dad. I hope you feel what I feel. If you do, you cannot help but love God, knowing He loves you infinitely more than you could even imagine. And rest assured – you cannot make a decision that will change His love for you.

Love Dad