"A righteous person lives on the basis of his integrity. Blessed are his children after he is gone."
~ Proverbs 20:7
My father taught me honesty by example. I remember walking with him to the corner grocery store when I was little, and the clerk gave him a quarter too much in change. What did Dad do? Kindly, he pointed out the mistake and gave the quarter back. Dad also taught my sister and me to memorize Bible verses by reciting a new verse or two with us before we left for school. Soon, we had the third chapter of John learned “by heart,” and our school friends waiting for us there in the kitchen learned it, too.
My pastor-father wasn’t a perfect parent, but really, is there a parenting guide for each individual child born into a family? What works with one child might not for the next. I do know that Dad did his best and trusted the Lord for the rest. His and my mother’s goal was to love my sister and me dearly, and bring us up in the faith.
My husband, Dave, also emulated God’s grace and love in parenting our now-grown children—Julie, Janie, and Jonathan—and our granddaughter, Ariel. He was the kind of dad who got down on the floor to build Lego towers with our kiddos and who helped Julie memorize the multiplication tables by associating the numbers with mnemonics. He took all three kids on hikes on mountain trails and neighbor-hood greenways, and he worked daily with Janie and Jonathan to help them learn to read at a 5th-grade reading level when their special ed teacher insisted they would never learn to read at all!
Dave doesn’t mind driving nineteen hours from Kentucky back to Colorado to safely bring home a large painting of Janie’s. He’ll talk with Jonathan for an hour or longer on Zoom or FaceTime, and he happily loans his sleek white Mustang to Ariel to take her pups out for a spin and a treat at Dutch Bros. Yes, he is a giver of his time and energy to his family.
I know I’m a very blessed—and most grateful—wife and mother.
This month, as we celebrate fathers, we are also mindful of the best and highest example of lovingkindness from our heavenly Father. How thankful I am for God’s amazing love and grace toward His children!
Blessings for sunny June, and always,
—Beverly Lewis
1) Work has begun on a very special project coming in 2024. More on that soon!
2) My sister, Barbara, and I have created two new cards for the Amish Cheer card line. These Father’s Day cards will be available to ship to you until June 7.
I pray you have a delightful month ahead, enjoying the sunshine and the beauty of nature. Thanks so much for your kind words and loving support, dear friends!
