“May the Lord smile on you…” Numbers 6:25

There are certain things that remind us of the special people in our lives, especially if they have passed on.  For me, the smell of sawdust will almost instantly bring back memories of my father, because he was an avid carpenter. American author and international speaker Squire Rushnell tells a delightful story about an experience Emmett Kelly’s daughter had at the time of his passing.  After receiving word that her father had died, Stasia Kelly boarded a plane to fly home.  The man seated beside her asked her why she was so down.  She explained that she was the daughter of the famous ‘sad’ clown and was traveling home to be with family and attend his funeral. The man beside her was quite taken back. He revealed that on the day she was born, he was the photographer who snapped a picture of her father smiling as he was receiving word of Stasia’s birth.   In his book Divine Alignment, Rushnell describes these moments in life to be ‘God Winks’.  (Click on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvdkCJgRzEk for more information.)

Through his sober expression, Kelly’s job was to make others smile by his sad appearance. However in his personal life, the birth of a daughter instantly brought an uncommon smile to his clown face. As we mature, we come to realize that fathers are one of the most important people in our lives. Dad will get you to lie down in his arms in the swimming pool for the first time. And when he tells you that he is going to let go and that you are to paddle, you are confident he will be there to keep you from sinking if you start going under.  When your friends or siblings convince you to climb that old oak tree in the back yard, Dad is the one waiting for you to jump into his loving arms when you freeze after you realize just how high you have climbed. Paul Harvey said that: “A father never feels entirely worthy of the worship in his child’s eyes.  He never is quite the hero his daughter thinks, never quite the man his son believes him to be. This worries him, sometimes. So he works too hard to try and smooth the rough places in the road for those of his own who will follow him.”

Fathers teach us about life in a way that no one else can. When we break the rules, mom says, “Just wait till your father gets home.” When we run to him to shield us from the monsters, we are confident that he will protect us.  When he teaches us to ride a bike or drive a car, we might become frustrated with all the cautionary instructions but will one day be grateful that he taught us the right way.  When we move away and are welcomed home again at any time, it somehow becomes easier to tell him how much we love him.  All of these things make Dad smile.  It’s somewhat remarkable that the same obedient heart, absolute trust, use of his gifts and instruction, and expression for continual love are the identical things that make our Heavenly Father smile as well.

As in our Journey, not yet complete, we echo this prayer: “Smile on me, your servant; teach me the right way to live” (Psalm 119:135).  For as we traverse along the path, we hopefully become humbled to understand that “The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, And He delights in his way” (Psalm 37:23).  As the path becomes rocky and we stumble, we think of Dad and remember his example. “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6).  So grant me unwavering day-by-day faith Lord that I would be attentive to the tasks you have placed before me, knowing that when my day is done you will be able to smile and say, “Well done…” (Matthew 25:21).

REFLECTION:  Think back on those things that made your earthly father smile, or if you are a dad, at what times do your children make you smile?  Can you see similarities with what makes your Heavenly Father smile?  If you are not already doing so, what would you have to do to make pleasing God the goal of your life?

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