Friday, July 11, 2014

A Father's Son

So It's July 11, 2014 which means it is my dad's birthday. I think he turns 57 today? I've been thinking a lot about him lately. (especially in my last post) Thinking about his life and the sacrifices he has made over the years for me and my family. Thinking back to my childhood, there was never a time my dad wasn't there for me. My happiest childhood memory is being at the Beckett Ridge pool with my dad throwing me up into the air and then having a line of 15 kids waiting to be next. My dad was and is the best. That is a VERY rare thing. There are so many people out there who have horrible relationships with their fathers or don't even know their dads at all. I am extremely grateful for how my dad chose to raise us.

My dad is a very successful man who is very good at what he does. I found out last year that my dad has been reckognized as one of Cincinnati's top 100 money managers for years in a row. He has won dozens of finance awards and is a pretty well known guy. I asked him about this last summer and asked why he never told us about this awsome success he's had. His resposne was something along the lines of "Oh yeah. Uhhh, I never really thought about it." That is the kind of humility that my dad has and it's amazing.

He had many opportunities to take better jobs making seven figures but turned them down because they would cause him to travel more and be away from his primary job of raising my siblings and I. Always coaching my basketball teams, never missing a band concert or a game. Being a volunteer in the youth group for 10 years and being an Elder. Always home in time to take me to practices and then spend time after practice helping me with homework. I don't think I really saw that as a kid. You don't really think about that when you're growing up. I can't thank God enough for blessing me with the father that I had.

I didn't see how great my father was until my parents got divorced when I was 19. The grace he showed to my mother and the patience he had while his wife of 32 years was leaving him was something I couldn't have done. I know for a fact I couldn't have done what he did in those moments. He taught me what it really looks like to be a Godly man and that's something I'll never forget. I tried to figure out how my dad got it right and how he learned to be such a great father. The more I see in him the more I see God. All my dad ever did was try to live his life like (I hate religious cliches but sometimes they work) his "heavenly father" would. He modeled his life after the selfless, loving, ever-present, non-judging, grace-showing heavenly father. The result was the best father I could have asked for.

So here's a shout out to dad's who are living out Christ in their families and their lives. It's not the easy path but what you're doing is unbelievable and is appreciated. Thanks for raising us right and giving us a faith that we can share with others around us and eventually live out in our own families. So if you were blessed with a father like I had then you are incredibly lucky and you should tell your dad today that you appreciate him. If you don't, know that it is not an easy thing to do and know that you have a father that will do anything for you and has done everything for you already. He's everywhere and he's waiting patiently and trying to speak so much to you. All you have to do is listen.

This is for Scott Sims. I love you dad!

@pPantzims

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