About 25 years ago my buddy
and I were on spring break, but we were broke, so we were heading over to
Vandalia to eat cheeseburgers,
and he got the idea we should go off-road in the
river bottoms between Vandalia and Bluff City.
I was driving my rear wheel drive Chevy S-10 at the time, so I
thought… “Yeah....Let’s do this.”
So...we pulled off the highway...it had just rained so there was plenty of mud...and we went mudding for a good two...maybe three yards before we got stuck in the mud.
Well, in 1995, when you’re stuck you're just stuck. We didn’t have cell phones, so we got out and started walking. I don’t remember if we made it all the way to John Behrend’s house or what, but eventually someone picked us up and dropped us off at home. It was too wet to plant, so dad was around, and he ended up pulling the truck out...I don’t remember if he had to use a tractor or his actual four wheel drive vehicle...and that was that.
At 19, that was pretty embarrassing to have to be rescued like that by my dad, especially in front of a buddy, so later on that evening I thanked him, but I also made sure he knew that was probably the last time he’d have to help fix one of my stupid mistakes. He just nodded and said, “Oh, I wouldn’t worry about that too much” and went on his way...took a seat in the recliner, probably watched a Cardinal game on TV, maybe Andy Griffith, and nothing was ever said about the incident ever again.
As it turns out, that was not the last time he helped me fix a
stupid mistake. Dad helped pull me out of the mud...literally and figuratively...many
times over the last 25 years.
He just helped me with all kinds of things, and it didn’t matter what it was...something serious like driving with me to Pittsburgh to move Annaka back home after her transplant...or something little like bringing over a tiller for my garden...he was somehow able to help me without ever...at any time...making me feel like I was putting him out.
Somehow...regardless of what he was helping me out with...I left the experience feeling as though I...was doing him...the favor.
A father’s job, of course, is to help his children through their
lives, and dad was really good at that.
A father’s main responsibility, though, is to lead his children toward their heavenly father...and dad was really good at that, too...by praying before every meal...reading us Bible stories...Getting us to church on time – mostly.
Dad led us toward our heavenly father just by living a solid, Biblical life, showing us what it meant to be a good husband and good neighbor.
Dad showed us our heavenly father most clearly, though, when he
helped us with something...because we always left feeling as though he
genuinely loved to help us.
Because he did.
There will be many
people this afternoon and in the days to come, who will ask themselves, “Now
what?”
“What am I going to do now that he’s gone?”
“What should I do...when his memory is so heavy on my heart...
that I can’t see straight?”
His answer, I think, would be typical Bill Robison, “I wouldn’t
worry about that too much... just find someone stuck in the mud and help them
out.”
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