A Father For A Little While

ValMay ♦ June 21, 2021 ♦ Leave a comment

The little Hobbit Merry was captivated by the kindness of Theoden, King of Rohan, in whose company he ended up in while the rest of the Fellowship was splintered into different parts of the grand epic story.

‘As a father you shall be to me,’ said Merry. ‘For a little while,’ said Théoden. *

In The Lord of the Rings, a book of over 1000 pages, this phrase may not seem earth shaking but it really struck home with me as I thought about Father’s Day the past few days. Fathers are such a critical part of society and they come in many shapes, forms and sizes. When I think of my own father, my husband Larry, my brothers, friends, brothers in Christ, pastors, teachers, and mentors in my life, I am overwhelmed with gratitude to those who have taken the time to invest in my life’s journey.

“As a father you shall be to me… for a little while” Over the years, there has been a multitude of kids (and adults) that have passed through our doors at home and at our business.

Larry has not just been the father of our three, Tiffany, Travis and Tori but also a caring soul to so many others. One of Tiffany’s friends posted on FB the other day that his very first job was in our warehouse sorting books. I couldn’t possibly count how many friend’s we’ve had pass through our office doors. Another friend of Trav’s recently spoke at Larry’s Rotary club and shared fond memories of Larry as a coach. He has officiated several weddings of our kid’s friends and will do another this Fall. These are just a small handful of ways that I have watched him impact the community around us. I am thankful to our Father above who has blessed us with a way that we could help others along on their journey and for Larry who was always willing to find a way to help students, colleagues, and others along the way. He has no doubt been a ‘father’ to them for a little while. The blessing goes both ways – we have been so blessed with many friendships and love throughout our life here on this earth.

I just want to say thank you to Larry and to the many others who have been willing to extend themselves and become “fathers for a little while”. You are reflecting the love of God and trying to make a difference for good in the lives of others and that matters so much.

Happy Father’s Day!

*(The Return of the King, LoTR Book 5, Ch 2)