Doing the Right Thing
If you’ve read anything about my life story you know one of the great heartbreaks of my life was my biological father’s absence.
Rejection hurts.
Especially when a little girl experiences rejection from her father; it cuts deep. And it stings long.
But the Lord was so good to me. When I was at the awkward age of 12 my mom met Charles. And when he proposed to my mom, he gave me a ring too. I’ll never forget that. He didn’t have to do that. But he did. Because something in his heart said it was the right thing. The rare thing. The thing a very broken 12 year old girl needed.
Charles has been in my life for 30 years. He is my dad. He is my hero.
And you know what my favorite thing about him is? No matter what, no matter how hard it might be, no matter how much it costs or inconveniences him… he’s a man who truly desires to do the right thing.
Always desiring to do the right thing even when it’s hard, is a rare thing. A rare thing indeed.
Recently, he had the chance to sell a business investment. It would have taken a huge load off of him mentally and financially. There was a buyer. It was a good time to sell.
But selling that business would have meant putting some good people out of a job. And Dad couldn’t do that. It wasn’t the right thing. So he did the rare thing. And he passed up the deal.
When I heard about what Dad had done, there wasn’t one ounce of surprise in my heart.
And I love that.
I love that my dad is known as a man of his word. A man who will do the right thing- the rare thing.
Oh how I want to be like him.
Each day we are faced with decisions.
With some decisions, the right thing is the easy thing.
But some decisions aren’t so clear cut. The right thing isn’t the easy thing. Or, you could even justify that the right thing doesn’t seem so right in light of present circumstances.
Sometimes things are a little muddy. Complicated. Hard. Justifiable. Hidden.
But I always come back to the question my dad asks, “What is the right thing?”
And wrapped in the answer to that question are threads of a legacy that tie my heart to my dad’s. Though we don’t share the same DNA, his imprint on my heart makes me his daughter.
That love runs deep. And it lasts long.
I love you, Dad.
In honor of Father’s Day I have a fun giveaway. My friend, Rob Teigen, wrote an amazing book called 88 Great Daddy-Daughter Dates; and he’s agreed to sign and send a free copy to five randomly chosen commenters from today’s blog. How fun!
Just leave a comment below with a Bible verse or quote that you think is important to consider when making a decision. Or comment on a time when you had to wrestle with figuring out what the right decision to make really was, and what helped you.
I can’t wait to learn from all your fantastic wisdom today. Thanks!
Related posts:
A Message From Hope And A Giveaway!
The Day My Fragile Identity As A Mom Melted
The Most Non-Crazy Woman I’ve Ever Met
