HAVE YOU CONSIDERED...

The greatest blessing of being your father is how very much you have helped me spiritually. Other than my Bible, being your father has taught me more about my relationship to my Heavenly Father than any other source. My dearest children:

Sunday is Father's Day. I am excited because I know I will either see or talk with each of you today. There will be laughter and expressions of love with tears of joy.

Upon awakening that morning, my mind will fill with precious father/child memories stored forever in my memory bank. With each thought I relive the experience: The joy of your birth and seeing you take your first step and speak your first word. The excitement of Christmas mornings filled with your childlike enthusiasm...The fun of our Friday "family night" outings in Augusta and Charlotte...The sense of accomplishment as together we built our lake cabins in Augusta and Charlotte ourselves, getting as much paint on each other as on the cabins and blue fingers from missed hammer strokes. The satisfaction of seeing all four of you grow into the special persons you are...The wonder of sharing with you the defining experiences of life: graduations, weddings and birth of your own children and grandchildren.

With deep gratitude to God, I realize anew on this Father's Day how God has blessed me through each of you at every age of your life. I can't imagine my life without you. You have encouraged me when I was discouraged and strengthened me when I was weak. You have expressed to me your love when I felt unworthy of being loved. Because of my deep desire to be a good father, you have challenged me to set high goals and strive hard to attain them. You have motivated me to seek to develop character and integrity in my life, and forgiven me when I fell short. You have given me to love: eight grandchildren, three greatgrandchildren, and by marriage four additional sons/daughters and two grandsons/ daughters.

Only when your children leave home will you understand how it thrills me when you telephone, e-mail, or visit. As your mother and I age and enter a time when we may be unable to do for ourselves and increasingly need you, we can do so in peace and contentment knowing that you will always be there for us. That is the kind of children you are.

The greatest blessing of being your father is how very much you have helped me spiritually. Other than my Bible, being your father has taught me more about my relationship to my Heavenly Father than any other source. Now I know how much my Heavenly Father really loves me and why it is unconditional. I know the joy He feels when I spend time with Him and seek His help. Being a father enables me to know why He so desires to fill my life with good things. When I insist on doing things my way rather than His way, He feels sorrow because He knows the consequences I will suffer. Yet because He loves me so, He allows me to choose so I can learn, grow and mature.

The greatest decision I have made in my life is when I chose and accepted Jesus Christ to be my personal Savior. The secondgreatest decision I made was when I chose the beautiful lady to be my wife whom God later chose to be your mother. I am eternally grateful to God and to her for making it possible for me to be a father.

I affirm to each of you my eternal love and my desire to always be there for you when you need me. And when in God's timing you come to my house and I am no longer there, you can be assured I will be waiting for each of you with open arms to joyously welcome you into your Heavenly Father's house.

Always,

Dad

(Dr. French O'Shields is a Gaffney native and a retired Presbyterian minister.)