JD, Grab a couple cups of tea and read, pretend we are having an herbal tea party that helps stress. You got me to thinking about some things that I saw in my past and how I am as a person and how my dad influenced that in a very positive way.

I had mentioned in here that my dad used to teach about FAITH stories from a book every Sunday and he donated his time to that. And the kids really loved him and he really always wanted to take these words and put them into actions and teaching was one of the actions. And no one ever thanked him and the next year they put someone in his spot and that whole facility was kind of political. And I know my dad was really hurt and we didn't go there any more. But it didn't stop my dad from having FAITH and putting it in our home and sharing it with others.

And somehow I always felt out of place whenever I was in certain buildings that had certain groups that got together and talked about FAITH. And I had a feeling like I was cheating somehow, and I was very quiet and felt like I wasn't suppose to be there. But I did like the pretty places and the friendly people and I always loved the songs and the organs and sometimes there were guitars. And it was very confusing for me because I knew that you could be a person with a lot of FAITH and yet in our family it felt like we were outcasts. At least in my mind and how I understood it because my dad really didn't explain it other than that he didn't agree with the politics taking place.

And when I look at my dads life, he never stopped praying, three times a day. And he was quiet, but a very deep soulful man. And I did see him put his faith into practice many times and he wasn't always rewarded.He started a boys camp because he had a very wealthy client that needed to have a tax break. And my dad talked this man into buying some land and there was a small lake and it would make a great boy scout camp. And my dad took the time to set everything up so this could happen. And it did happen and it grew and years past and they decided to honor those that made it possible for this boy scout camp and now big facility to happen.

And so my dad went to the celebration and saw the area of the thank you's and the plaques talking about all the people that were responsible for this to all be there. And there was no plaque or mention or even picture of my dad with the boys in those beginning years where he again donated his time. And JD, I felt awful for my dad. And I know why he wanted that camp because when he was a little boy he really needed something like that and he wanted something like that to exist for boys like himself when he was little. And I knew that place would have never existed had my dad not convinced this wealthy man to invest his money in this venture. But there was a big plaque that bore the name of this wealthy man that had since passed away. And I know my dad spent a lot of his own time working at convincing this man to invest in this YMCA and boyscout facility. None of that place would have ever existed had it not been for my dad and all his efforts, how could that be that his name was not there?

However, my dad still prayed and was not bitter and he still practiced his FAITH in an active way. And the years passed an many of his clients were able to retire because he was so honest and carefully invested their money as if it was his own and he could have taken some risks and made more money, but he really respected these hard working people and their desire to have enough to retire. And then as time passed my dad went to funerals and met with many wives and consoled them and helped them manage their funds at no charge. And now my dad is going be 86 and he has outlived most of his clients and consoled many.

And as I have mentioned somewhere in another thread, my dad even took care of an elderly neighbor and that was a long hard experience for my dad.
And no distant relative would come and help and my dad stuck it out and I know that it took a lot out of him and made it difficult for him to run his business. And when that man was dieing, no one came, just my father and that man was very frightened an my father spent a lot of time helping him understand how to accept the end of life. And that man told my father to go into his safe and take the money out of that safe and keep it. And my father went to the safe and took the money to three different banks because there was a lot of money and put it in this mans name. And the man got mad and my father told him that he wanted to make sure that this man had plenty of money in case he needed special care. But there really was no special care left for this man, but my dad wanted him to feel safe in every way he could. And my dad went above and beyond for that man who really never had any friends and was a very lonely man. And my dad never accepted money from him and he made it possible for that man to get healthy enough many times so he could tend his garden and ride his tractor. But there would then be that call as the man went out of remission and my father would begin again and give up a lot of time to get that man back on his tractor.

And after the man passed he had left his money to my dad, and my dad never knew it. And those distant relatives finally presented themselves and accused my father of caring for that man to get to his money and the news papers saw that in the legal system and they put my father's name in those papers and they were not kind at all. (Big reason why I don't believe the news people) And once again I saw my dad take that too and those people got the money and my dad still kept FAITH. And my dad just quietly said no matter that man had some good years and that is all I wanted.

And then there was a bad accident where a car with young teenage boy ended up smashed on my dads property. That young teen died. And one day that young teens father appeared and was just aimlessly walking around. My dad didn't know who he was so he appoached him and the man was crying and told my dad who he was. And my dad went into the house and made some coffee and had the man join him in his office where they would be alone and they stayed out there for a couple of hours and late into the night. And then the man came out of the door and thanked my father and told him how much he had helped him, so very much. And he asked my father if he could bring his wife back to speak to him too because he helped so very much with all the grief that man was trying to deal with.

Knowing my dad he probably talked to the man about a lot of different books and FAITHS and stories of how to accept death. And my dad to this day was always such an avid reader and seeker of knowledge. And I am sure that whatever FAITH that man has was truely inriched on that day.

And the one thing I truely learned from my dad is that it really doesn't matter what names are given to different ways of having FAITH and even Prayers. And not everyone is going to appreciate it when some is good and has and practices FAITH and PRAYER. There has to be a certain acceptance that rises above in someone that has TRUE FAITH and ACTUALLY PRACTICES IT.

And if you are a person that has a lot of FAITH and PRACTICES WHAT THAT REALLY MEANS WITH OTHERS, "YOU ARE VERY HUMAN, AND DESERVE EVERY SINGLE BREATH YOU TAKE IN"

Open Eyes