This year I was able to surprise my husband in the gifts he got. That hasn't really happened in years. He always seems to guess or he knows before-hand. I was able to give my husband an iPhone for Father's Day. If you know us, we've wanted iPhones for awhile now, and if you've talked to me at all in the last couple of weeks, you know I was supposed to get mine first. Well, I got it, but then I gave it to Carlo. I was really adamant and a bit selfish when I got my MacBook, that it was mine and I wasn't giving it to Carlo, even though he really could have used it. We both are in need of new phones & I was due for an upgrade. We got a sweet deal we couldn't resist and all in all ended up paying like $5 for an iPhone. Well, I gave my iPhone to Carlo for Father's Day. I have to say it felt great to do so. Thanks to a good friend I'll be getting one for myself in a few weeks.
Tonight in service, our Youth Pastor, Charlie, preached a message entitled, "Dad, If You Only Knew." He basically talked to dads about how important it was for them to love their kids and to tell their kids they love them. He spoke to those without fathers reminding them they had a Heavenly Father who loves them more than they can ever know. This really got me thinking about the man I call Dad. While he may not have helped to make me, he's always treated me like he has. If you know any of my history you know things were jacked up in a few areas. If you don't know, I'll be happy to share about what God has done in my life. I like to think that God has given me a second chance with an earthly father. My biological dad was a good dad when he was connected. There were times when he was available and I felt like a Daddy's Girl, but after my parents' divorce, he let drugs and alcohol take control of his life and he became a nonentity in the lives of my sisters and I. Our stepdad really stepped up. He's never been one to show lots of emotion (hard in a house with 4 females), but I knew, even when I was doing my best to not show it, that he cared. When I stole his car and wrecked it, my mom was at the end of her rope and wanted to let the police arrest me. The man who owned the car and had no legal relationship with me told her, "No, there's something going on and having her arrested won't help her. We're going to sit down and talk and figure out what's up so we can help her." This was coming from a man who didn't have a relationship with the Lord and would have been justified in pressing charges. I call Alvis Johnson "Dad," because he's been nothing but to me. In the darkest of times and the happiest he's been there. God may not have given him to me first for a dad, but my second chance has been wonderful. I'm proud to say he's my dad, and I'm proud to have him pour into my sons' lives. If you ask, I'll tell you, "He's my dad & I love him!"
