A Story to Live

Photo by Kyle Johnson on Unsplash

Once upon a time, in a little town not very far away, there was a young boy who was wide-eyed with the sights and sounds and aromas of a summer festival. He drank an orange soda to stay cool and ate cotton candy just because, and took a turn on every carnival ride.

Except for one. The most tempting one of them all. The one he knew would make him dizzy. But he kept looking at all the kids sitting on this huge swing set and going around and around with big smiles on their faces. What could go wrong? He had to try it, in spite of his parents’ “you’ll be sorry” warnings.

And at first, it was like a nice slow but huge ride on the backyard swing, the kind that makes you laugh out loud for joy. But before long, things got out of control quickly. Everyone else was screaming with delight. The young boy, getting dizzier and sicker to his stomach by the second as the orange soda and cotton candy danced, began to scream, “Dad, dad! Get me off! Get me off!” And after what seemed like an eternity but was really only a matter of minutes, everything stopped. Except for the young boy’s world, which kept spinning and spinning and spinning. His dad helped him over under a big shady tree, put his arm around him, and stayed right beside him. No “I told you so!” Just stayed there. 

But soon, there came a time when the young boy needed to get going, to put one foot in front of the other again. Far away from the carnival rides and the things that dazzled, and toward his home. At first, he still felt weak and nauseous and unsteady. And so his dad lifted him upon his shoulders and carried him toward their car and home. Later in the day, everything had finally stopped spinning for the young boy, and he was back enjoying life at a cookout, but all the time checking to see that his dad was still around. And finding peace and comfort that he was. Never more than a shout away…

…Not everyone has good memories of their dad. Not everyone has a dad anymore. Not everyone has been a dad. But the ones about my dad, like this one, that stand out most vividly seem to be the ones that God uses to tap me on the shoulder to remind me about Himself, when I forget or when I need it the most: “See, this is who I AM and have been to you in your life’s journey, from hearing your cry to saving you from the dizzying things you thought would satisfy, to staying with you every step of the way, to carrying you when you couldn’t carry yourself, to always being as close as your next breath to guide you as you have been living your life. And I AM still here...”

I waited patiently for God to help me;

then He listened and heard my cry.

He lifted me out of the pit of despair,

out from the bog and the mire,

and set my feet on a hard, firm path, 

and steadied me as I walked along.

He has given me a new song to sing, 

of praises to our God.—Psalm 40:1-3, Living

But as my dad modeled, and as my Dad has modeled, the story was never meant to end there. Especially now:

“My command is this: love each other as I have loved you.”—John 15:12

Selah.