A Father Who Is Present

Now when I pray I often tell our Heavenly Father, “I want you to be Present. Being a good provider is important but I want a Father who is present all the time, and who will train me how to do stuff.”

Jesus says “This is the kind of prayer our Father loves to answer.”

“If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Luke 11:13).

I am the oldest, Henry is two years younger, and Marlene is seven years younger than me.

When Columbia Bitulithic had a paving plant that was losing money they would send Dad in to get it profitable again. He would get up at 2:00 a.m. to start the burners so the tar would be sufficiently warm at 6:00 when the trucks arrived. He went to bed early and mom had to keep us kids quiet as we lived in small hotel rooms all summer long. The company paid for Dad’s meals at the cafe, and since we were a family of five they allowed us to have supper at the restaurant every second night. We could get whatever kind of pop we wanted. This was very special. All the other meals mom cooked as the hotel room had a kitchenette. The smell of hot asphalt still floods me with good memories. Mom was the best possible mom through those years and of course we couldn’t live year-round on the road crews but as a young child I hated the months when dad was up North and we had to go back to the Fraser Valley. Maybe this is partly why I quit high school at 17 to go North to find work.

My dad is the second from the left, the middle of the dark coveralls.

I thank God for various mentors over the years, but mostly I thank Him for His commitment to be present, to carry me when things get too rough, and to help me walk out my destiny.