My Dad worked hard. And for most of his life he worked milkman hours, back in the days when a milkman delivered dairy products door-to-door.
I remember those milkman hours first-hand.
Because dad took me with him on a LOT of Saturdays. So, when I say he worked hard, I know what I’m talking about from personal experience. First, you get up around 3 a.m. to be at the dairy plant way before daylight. Because you gotta have the milk truck loaded with cases of gallons, half gallons, and quarts of milk, juice, butter, and more. Then, you hit the road by 4:30 or 5:00 a.m. in order to deliver to customers before breakfast.
Dad worked two routes each week. One was his Monday, Wednesday, Friday route. The other was Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday. He delivered milk in some neighborhoods in Texas near NASA. In fact (as a side note) several of his customers were some of the first well-known, “right stuff” astronauts.
And that brings up another side note (and true story).
Dad made sure, on one of those Saturdays I worked with him, I got to personally hand deliver a half gallon of ice cream to Neil Armstrong. For those of you not born in the 20th century…Neil Armstrong was the first man to set foot on the moon. And little ol’ me handed him a container of Dutch chocolate rocky road ice cream! (I think that’s what it was)
Anyway…
Even on those long Saturdays, when I was helping Dad deliver milk, he spent lots of time with me. And not just telling me what to do. We also had conversations about the more important things in life. Things like what I had learned in math, science, and language classes. Other topics included boats, fishing, family, and where I was going someday when I die. Yeah, even that.
Those one-on-one times with my Dad were my favorites. And I wouldn’t trade a second of them for all the cool technology in the world.
Dad died when he was only 51.
There were tough times with my Dad, too. He was a strict disciplinarian. And when I failed to do the right thing once in a while, sometimes there were serious consequences. But those times never overshadowed the fun times with him. He also showed me how to use tools. And work on lawnmowers, bicycles, and even my first car. He built (yes, built, not bought) go-karts and mounted lawnmower motors to power them up. And my brother and I would test drive them around the block. Sometimes successfully. Sometimes not so much.
Dad also showed us how to fly kites attached to the line on our saltwater fishing rods and reels. He’d throw the football with us, in the street, during football season. He taught us the finer points of throwing a baseball with either hand. I remember even getting him to play tennis with me when I started up that sport in high school. And I remember it was the first sport where I could beat him. Guys might identify more with me on that…how it feels to first beat your dad at anything. Right?
My Dad was only 20 years older than me. That means he’s now been gone longer than he was around during my life. And I still think of him and so many of those special moments almost daily.
I’m not sure if he knows, right now, how important a role he played in my life.
But I AM sure he knows, without a doubt, what the more important things in life are. He was (and is) a Christian. So, I know my Dad is “present with the Lord” right now. And I’m confident that Dad has experienced, firsthand for almost 40 years, the ultimate relationship. It’s an awesome and incredible HOPE I have…to know I’ll see him again someday. And to know we’ll be eternal brothers in the presence of the one, true, living, loving Creator.
That’s why I encourage you to interrupt temporary with eternal.
As you go through your day today…as you check your texts, instant messages, social media accounts, YouTube and Instagram videos, and even your eCommerce stats…take a pause. Look up. Look around. Pay attention to the ones you love. Talk to them. Embrace. Laugh. Enjoy the time. They won’t be here forever. You won’t either. Be you’ll all be somewhere forever. Talk about that. And be sure where you’re going. It matters more than any other message you’ll receive from any other source.
I hope you’re tapped into the power of God’s love. Because there ain’t no other security that even comes close.
Subscribe to The TRUTH Journal, my ongoing Devotional that’s Logical AND Emotional. Because then the flashes of light I share on my website come right to your inbox. So you can spend your valuable time reading and listening instead of searching. And, to show my sincere appreciation for your time and attention, I’ll send you download links to books and music, right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies.
Stay tuned,
