Letter to dad

Dear Dad,

From the innocent, early years of my childhood, I admired you. Your humor and pleasant personality created a positive family atmosphere that was always fun and safe. Your daily and lifelong study work-ethic never wavered. Your in-depth knowledge of Greek and Hebrew enabled you to uncover amazing truths about the Bible, and served to elevate your teaching and messages to truth-heights that few have ever been able to navigate. And yet, you always, always remained humble.

You provided well for your family despite the modest pay for which most ministers of the Gospel worked in the mid to late twentieth century. Greed was never part of your persona, but caring for others’ needs was always your DNA, and indeed, a constant part of your daily action steps.

I’ll never forget that you attended all of my high school home wrestling matches. To this day I cherish your enthusiastic support and cheering. I remember the time when two thugs brandishing knives came on the church bus in Fayetteville, NC demanding to know why we were picking up kids from the hood. You calmly smiled at them and invited them to attend church as well. That was one of many lessons I learned from you – lessons in how to deal fearlessly with people, both friends and foes.

Moreover, I thank God that I grew up in a heritage as rich as the one you and your wife / my mother, Sarah provided. Thank you for being true to your wife. I can’t imagine having any better influences than the one both of your lives had on me.

You truly taught me how to be a man. And though I’ll never rise to the high level of your accomplishments and the beautiful way you lived your life, I’ve always had your example, words and perspectives pushing me on to do the right thing, bravely, lovingly and always with Prior to officiating the wedding service, Dad asking me, “Tim, are you sure you want to go through with this?” August 17, 1985 hope for the future. If I can be half the man that you were, I will have succeeded in being the excellent Godly man and head of my family that you have always been to me and our family.

I love you, Dad. I hate seeing you go. Thank you for everything. See you again soon.

Your son,

Letter to dad

Dear Dad,

Tim Darnell