The Man from the Town Called The Oak

 Everything I know about being strong to a fault I learned from my Dad.  He was larger than life.  Born in a place called The Oak, he was an oak of a man.  His presence was imposing and his voice carried through space, making walls shake and people tremble.  You may think I'm exaggerating, but the "man of the 4 Gs" Gonzalo Gaspar Gonzalez Gordillo was an intimidating man.  As his youngest child, however, I was able to know really well how, inside that rough and stern exterior lived a gentle soul, filled with love.

As a child growing up, I idolized him as I feared him...because he always showed me glimpses of his tender side while teaching me how the value of an unblemished reputation leads to being respected as a person of integrity and strength: his greatest goals in life.  As an adult, I saw his struggles.  I witnessed his pain.  I wiped his tears.  And for years, I offered him my listening ears so he would not carry his regrets to the grave.  

Today, a day full of uncertainty, when our nation goes to the polls to elect the person they consider best fit to guide this country through the incredibly choppy waters of the present and the many storms still ahead, I celebrate my father's birthday.  I miss him terribly.  When I lost him, I felt as if the floor had been removed from under my feet.  I felt as if I had lost my compass.  Today, years after his passing, I know my compass is not lost, for it is inside of me. The memories of the man God destined to be my father on this earth live in my mind, reminding me of the importance of remaining strong without forgetting to show love.  

The compass, however, was not my Dad.  He might have pointed me to it...but, though my Compass once hung on a tree, He is is bigger than the man from the town called Oak.  And He is King of King and Lord of Lords.  And no matter who wins today, Jesus Reigns!

Let's be strong and courageous.  Lets allow the Holy Spirit to lead us. And may we do what His people are supposed to do:  pray, and seek His face, and turn from our wicked ways; so He may hear us, forgive us and heal us.  In the Precious Name of Jesus.  Amen!

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14