Heroes and Sons – You don’t raise Heroes, you raise Sons. And if you treat them like Sons, They turn out to be HEROES.
On this Fathers Day, I would like to thank my dad for teaching me the value of Service to Others.
I remember seeing him leave for work wearing his uniform and his green beret in the morning. I remember helping him take off his boots and I remember wearing his beret around the house in the evening when he came home. I remember singing The Ballad of the Green Beret and thinking one day I would have silver wings upon my chest. It wasn’t until I was much older that I realized what that Green Beret meant or what Green Berets were called to do during the Vietnam War.
I remember him going out in his pickup truck with a tow chain after a hard Kansas snow to pull people out of the ditches they had slid into. How he looked after the elderly neighbor ladies when they had needs and how he worked to provide for our family. I remember how he served my mom and did everything in his power to see that all of her needs, and all of her wants, were taken care of. From his example of selflessly serving others, I have inherited a legacy of service that I am thankful for.
Jesus affirmed dads example when He said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:42-45
Many of you have heard me call the fire service “The Greatest Career on the Planet.” Where else can you get paid to respond to the needs of others when they are having the worst day of their life? Where else can you stop the destruction of their possessions or relieve the pain and suffering of illness or injury as it is happening? If you know my dad, it may seen ironic to you that I learned compassion from him. If you know me, it may seem ironic to you that I feel compassion for those who are hurting. While you may not see the outward expression of emotion that you may expect, our compassion is expressed in our willingness to take the actions necessary to ease the pain and suffering of others. DAD, thank you for your example of service and for imprinting it in my DNA.
I have enjoyed 26 years of serving others through the fire service and was honored to watch as both of my SONS became my BROTHERS by putting on their bunker gear and committing to serve the needs of others for another generation.
Proverbs 13:22 tells us that “A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children.” I am honored to see that an inheritance of heroism and service has been passed from my father to my children and I pray that the value of service to others is passed through our family for generations to come.
DO SOMETHING TO SERVE YOUR FATHER TODAY!!!
HAPPY FATHERS DAY !!!
