Proverbs 27:23 – Know well the condition of your flocks and give attention to your herds.

Gratitude Day 895

August 3 is a special day for me. It’s the day my dad was born.

Today, he would have been 91 years old. To say that my dad is the most influential person in my life is not an understatement. To this day, when I find myself in a situation that requires a careful decision, I often try to anticipate what my dad would have done in a similar situation. His words continue to influence me, even though he died over 11 years ago.

Born in 1933, Dad entered this world right in the middle of the Great Depression. My grandparents lived on a farm just outside of a very small town in central Iowa. Money was very tight when my grandmother was pregnant with my dad. Her one wish was to be able to buy some new fabric so she could make diapers for her middle child.

Like so many women who lived during this era. Grandma raised chickens. They were her most significant source of income. In the weeks leading up to Dad’s birth, my grandmother relied on her laying hens to help her purchase that fabric. Their source of keeping food cold was an icehouse. These were the days before they had a refrigerator. During the Depression, my grandparents didn’t always have electricity. If they did, it was in the barn and not in the house.

Hoping to raise enough money for the fabric, Grandma saved 120 dozen eggs from her hens and stored them in the icehouse. In her later years when she shared this story, he couldn’t remember how long it took to save all 1,440 eggs. She said the summer was hot. Rain was scarce. They were just getting by. When she had her desired number of eggs, she took them to town to sell and be able to by fabric.

However, her great plan got railroaded. When grandma got to town, she discovered that the one bank had closed the day before. Basically, there was no money available and no way to get reimbursed for the eggs. Discouraged, Grandma hauled his eggs  back home. “I don’t remember what we did with all those eggs,” she said. “That was a lot of eggs.”

Even more significant? Somehow, they found money to buy fabric so my dad could have new diapers. Her wish came true.

It feels almost unbelievable that a mom would struggle trying providing for such a basic need for her child. Yet, it happened. Lots of other sacrifices were made once my dad arrived. Somehow, they keep food on the table, some type of clothes on their backs and food for the farm animals.

Those were difficult days.

This was not the last time my dad experienced the challenges of not having enough money. Amazingly, it seemed to me that Dad always kept going, no matter how difficult a situation might be. I know there were often challenging times. Yet, every day, Dad got up. Kept going. Tried to make the best of the latest situation.

There are so many lessons my dad taught me.

Work hard. Dad never thought “work” was a dirty four-letter-world. He taught me not to expect someone else to do something unless you are willing to do it yourself.

Honesty was a core value for Dad. There was no getting around being honest.

Give back. If something is important to you, then you support this with your time, talents, gifts and service. Dad was passionate about helping youth and volunteered countless ways to support youth. Even when my parents were experiencing grave financial challenges, Dad contributed towards youth organizations. While he never talked about it, I think he remembered the various people who helped him as a youth and was determined to do the same for others.

Care for your flock. The scripture verse from Proverbs at the beginning of this post says:

Know well the condition of your flocks and give attention to your herds.

Literally, this is exactly what my dad did. For my siblings and me. For hundreds of other kids over the course of decades. He knew that paying attention to the details and helping kids pursue their dreams were lifelong lessons that he could try to instill in others. Any youth who he helped was part of his “flock.” Dad made sure youth had opportunities to learn. Sometimes, this meant his own kids might have to make a little sacrifice for the benefit of another youth. He knew this was the right thing to do and convinced his kids of this. And we are better people because of this.

Be a giver. In this world, there are givers and there are takers. My dad was a giver. My parents modeled the art of giving, sometimes to the point where our family made sacrifices for the benefit of others. I do not regret this. In fact, I pray that I embrace this attitude today. It was a wonderful life lesson that has stayed with me well into adulthood. Maybe this explains why I say “yes” more often than I should. If saying “yes” means someone else will benefit, then I do not consider it a sacrifice. It’s a way that I can give and pay forward the lessons I learned from my parents.

Think about what “flocks” are under your care. What “herds” deserve your unending attention? These are not light questions because how we answer them reflects upon the choices and decisions we make in our daily lives.

My dad was not perfect. He made plenty of mistakes. So have I, my siblings and everyone around me. There have been times when I have been discouraged by my mistakes. I have spoken or written ill words that I wished I had not. I have had opportunities to give and chose not to. These same things happened to my dad. When they did, I witnessed within him the choice to keep going, keep giving, keep seeking to make sure he helped someone else along the way.

These are important lessons that I learned from my dad. Ones I have embraced and ones I have witnessed my siblings live out in their lives.

I pray that in sharing my story, you will be encouraged to think about who is someone that has helped you along the way. If possible, give them a shout-out. A thank you. That’s what I’m attempting to do today as I share about my dad. Hopefully, this will encourage you to do the same.

Oh, and happy birthday, Dad. I miss you.

For those who are the givers in this world, I am very grateful.

Blessings –

Dianne

Holy God – this world needs givers. People who look at others and decide they want to help them. May we always see the great sacrifices that You have made for our benefit. And may we not be shy about recognizing the people who have made a difference in our lives. Amen.

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