Dad-Always faithful

                                   

I can honestly say that I have been richly blessed by each of the men God chose for my family. I could go on and on about how wonderful they are and how each one has impacted my life in their own special way, but since today is Veterans Day, I figured I would tell you about my grandfather, MSgt. J.L. Goodwin.

As far back as I can remember, I have called him Dad. Probably because that’s what I heard my Mama and her sister call him, or maybe it was because I was with him so much I thought he was my Dad!(I’m just kidding if you happen to be reading this daddy.)

I really did spend a lot of time with him when I was younger. He let me go everywhere with him and it didn’t matter what it was for. When I was really young, I loved helping him in the garden. I had a special watering pale that he set aside just for me. Obviously I couldn’t water a huge garden with such a small pale, but it didn’t matter and I had no clue. I don’t think it would’ve mattered if he had set aside a paper cup for me to use, I just enjoyed hanging out with him. I still do.

We traveled a lot-most of the time to Hickory, N.C., where he is from. My favorite part of arriving, other than seeing his family, was going with him to check into the hotel. The hotel we all stayed in had a small jar of Jelly beans at the front desk. I wasn’t quite tall enough to reach them so he would always spoon out all my favorite colors and hand them to me. It was such a treat.
I’ll never forget the time he had to travel to Maine for work. He allowed Jenny, a friend of mine and me to go with him. (He probably regretted that after Jenny and I stayed up all night giggling ;)) He had to work during the day, but had his secretary's daughter gave us a tour of Callus and New Brunswick. We ate canadian pizza and bought t-shirts that said Callus, Me. on them. Then we visited historical markers in the area and even got to see a moose! It was probably the most memorable trip of my life!

He always did stuff that I enjoyed whether he enjoyed it or not. He took me ‘back to school’ shopping every year and even helped me pick my clothes out. I could go on and on about the time he spent with me as a child and the time I spend with him now, but I would never finish this blog. I just know that every moment that I have ever spent with him wasn't and isn't just “doing stuff”. He always had/has a story about his life in the Marine Corps or his job at Georgia Pacific to share, and he is contantly teaching me things that he has already learned through experience.

There are so many days when I’m reading certain bible verses that give examples of what a godly person looks like and it’s always a perfect illustration of Dad.  The thing I love about him is that he doesn’t go around building himself up to others. He simply lives out the integrity and the character that God illustrates throughout His word and leaves it at that. Here are a few verses that I think of when I think about him:

Proverbs 10:9 The man of integrity walks securely…

Proverbs 17:24 A discerning man keeps wisdom in view…

Proverbs 17:27 A man of knowledge uses words with restraint, and a man of understanding is even-tempered…

When I was younger I wanted to be just like him.  I have a long way to go, but I do see a little bit of him in myself every now and then. Like, the way I listen to things and ponder them when people don’t think I’m paying attention; The way I think about things a while before I act on them; The tough act I like to portray when deep down I’m a big “softy”, and most of all my faithfulness to my family. I don’t know of one occasion our family has ever come second with him. No matter what he is doing, he always makes sure his family’s needs are taken care of.

God places us here on earth, as parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents, to show our children an example of Him and to teach them on His behalf. I can honestly say that my Dad has always been faithful in doing that. So, as they say in the United States Marine Corps…"Simper Fi." It’s not just a motto- it’s a way of life. Happy Veterans Day, Dad!