We recently had family pictures taken for our annual Christmas card (thanks for the excellent work, Lisa). While working with those photos and selecting the individual shots for our Christmas card, one thing led to another and before I knew it I was digging through older photos - photos from my youth that included pictures of my brother, sister, mom and dad. The one thing that struck me more than any other was that as I age, I look more and more like Dad. I am heavier than my father, but I still see the striking resemblance. I have also noticed myself saying things that my dad would say – going for the corny joke when the opportunity is there, and being mildly sarcastic (ok, Dad’s sarcasm was mild, mine is not so much so)… but I see myself evolving into my father.
Before he passed away, we had some pretty deep discussions about life, politics and faith. Dad was always a union man and a staunch Democrat, and while deeply religious, his views often reflected the more liberal side of things… until he retired. After that, I saw and heard him soften quite a bit, and he even confided that he had voted for George W. Bush. But I digress.
In many of those conversations, I saw a side of him that, frankly, I see in myself. He was passionate about some things, almost to a fault – the way he would yell at the television during a sporting event because of something that he had witnessed, the way he could figure out the plot of almost any mystery show that he was watching. (I’m getting pretty good at that, too, but not as good as he was.) The way he cared about his family, his church and helping others. My point here is that Dad was a good man, who loved God, country and family. And to see myself gradually growing into his likeness is a good thing, at least in my opinion.
But this got me thinking again. How much more should I strive to look like my Heavenly Father? Do I display His attitude about things? Do people see His love, mercy and kindness when they encounter me? Sadly the answer is too often “no”. But I am working on it. I am trying to be like Him by yielding to His desire and direction for my life. And it’s not always easy, but I know that it’s the right thing to do. The apostle John wrote He must increase, but I must decrease. [He must grow more prominent; I must grow less so.] (John 3:30, Amplified Bible)
I’m not there yet. But hopefully, as I continue this walk, I will continue to get closer to the target. I’m still working on it.
As we enter the traditional holiday season, it’s time once again to count our blessings. While being thankful is an action that we should practice daily, it takes special meaning this time of the year. It’s that traditional period when we reflect back on the past twelve months and remember the happy moments. It’s the time when we recall the many blessings that God has bestowed upon us, our family and those we care about. We celebrate the happy times and reflect deeply on the sad… one of those “selah” moments.
Two hundred thirty-six years ago, on November 10, 1775 the United States Marine Corps was established by a resolution of the Second Continental Congress.
I’ve tried to keep myself busy lately, mostly just to keep my mind occupied. But isn’t working. Then again, it’s not like I am going to forget.