His New Beat-up Pick-up

I was so blessed with the father God gave me. He truly personified the characteristics of our heavenly father.

One record cold winter, a couple of years ago, I was using my dad’s truck for some reason. When I was finished with it, I thought I would do him a favor and park it in the garage, out of the elements. I knew if I didn’t put it in the garage, he would have to do it when he got home anyway. Little did I realize the garage door was quite narrow, and putting the truck in was a precise procedure, like a brain surgeon removing a tumor. While pulling in, I heard a terrible noise! Almost that of someone taking their finger nails and scratching them down a blackboard. Panicked, I slowly backed the truck up, turned it off, and got out to see what I had done. Lo and behold, on the passenger side of the vehicle, there was a two foot scratch in the paint. What was I going to do? Dad loved that truck. He was so happy when he bought it near new only a couple of years prior. Well, being brought up in a good Christian home, I was taught never to tell a lie. The punishment for lying was ten times more severe than if I told the truth. So first thing when he walked in the door from a hard day at work, I sprung the tragic news on him. I didn’t even let him get his still frozen coat off, because I figured if I waited too long, then I might chicken out and not want to tell him of the unspeakable deed. The "truth" hit him like a slap across his frostbitten face. He was mad! I apologized profusely and explained that I was only trying to help. He cooled down surprisingly quickly. In fact I don’t think he said another word about it. So how was my father like our heavenly father?? He loved me unconditionally. No matter what I did in life, and Lord knows I wasn’t a saint, he always hugged me and told me he loved me. I confessed my sin and he forgave me just about instantly.

My dad is not with us anymore. He is gone now to be with our Lord and Savior. I never did get to say good-bye to him, but I have all the confidence in the world that the last words were "Love You!"