Is It Time to Read His Final Words?
—Grace & Truth Linkup
I suppose most little girls think their dad is the smartest in the world.
I thought that. My dad was a mechanical engineer who worked for NASA his whole career. But he was also a Bible teacher at our church.
And because of that, my dad was also a Bible student.
He spent many, many hours of his adult life studying the Bible, preparing to teach a Sunday school class or just exploring it for his own knowledge. As I was growing up, I’d often see Daddy sitting at the kitchen table with his Bible spread open, a pad of paper and pens nearby, poring over the scriptures, highlighting a verse and making notes as he read.
When he became abnormally tired and thin in late 2009, he had been working on a massive Bible project: writing his own commentary of sorts on the New Testament book of Romans.
Romans was his final big study.
Early in January 2010 my dad received a diagnosis that explained the changes in his body: lung cancer.
Time spent in Romans was exchanged for time spent in doctors’ offices.
But somehow, through it all, he brought his Romans’ project to completion, enough anyway to save as a digital file and to email to a few readers for input.
After my dad died on Valentine’s Day in 2010, we had to sort through all his papers. He had file cabinets full of sermon notes, Bible study notes, and all manner of words that he’d written through the years.
The Romans project? We got it off his computer and put it on a thumb drive.
I began reading it shortly after he died. But then I stopped. I wanted to save it.
I wanted to keep something out there yet unread from my dad.
I still haven’t finished reading it.
It’s comforting to me to know I still have some of his words ahead of me, something new I’ve never heard from him, something fresh to look forward to from my dad.
But how long will I wait?
I think I shouldn’t wait any longer. It’s been 11 years already. It feels ridiculous even saying that large number, that he’s been away from us for 11 years already when he is still such a strong presence in our lives.
Perhaps this summer I’ll dig up Daddy’s document on Romans. And start reading it again. Hear his voice again. Learn something new about him. About God.
And maybe learn something new about me, too.
Featured Post
Lois linked up a post at last week’s linkup that reminded me I still hadn’t finished reading my dad’s work on Romans. She shares insights in the post about her own dad’s death, about his collection of writings, and about life in general.
Read all of Lois’s post here at her blog, then link up your own blog posts below.
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Lisa, how very precious to be able to have your dad’s words and thoughts on Scriptures. What a gift! May you be blessed as you begin to read them.
Lisa, that is so special to have your father’s words and example!
My dad passed over 30 years ago. What I wouldn’t give to come across some of his words!
Enjoy, my friend!
This is beautiful Lisa. It’s lovely that you have so many words of your father’s to read and a good memory about how he wrote them. I spent yesterday reconstructing a windchime that’s been in our garage for years. It took hours and I spent much of that time thinking of my dad, who passed in 2007. He loved to fix and build things. I still have many of his creations spinning to the wind in my backyard. I can’t part with them, even those that don’t spin anymore. I get why you’ve savored your dad’s writing and wait to read more.