The Final Words of My Father
I sat holding the hand that was always the epitome of strength to me. A hand that had shown me how to shoot a gun; hunt; work on my car; handle a Bible until it wore out; lovingly hold the hand of another; cut down a tree; drive a snowmobile; generously give; be a helping hand to others; and fold together in prayer. My dad was in his final few days of battling cancer that ravaged his body suddenly in the previous 6 months, and I was just glad to be with him.
My dad, Milton Walter Cross, was born on May 28, 1927 in Otisfield, Maine. He grew up when life was hard yet simple. It was all about family, having food on the table, and hard work. He served in the Navy in WWII; didn’t give up on wooing my mom even though she had been engaged to someone else (their love story ended one month prior to their 64th anniversary); started, owned and operated Milt’s Gulf Station and Milt’s Sales & Service, from which he retired.
My dad knew EVERYONE! In 1986 I went on a mission trip to Mexico. We drove school buses from New Hampshire to Mexico City (yup, you read that right). While in a small town in Mexico, someone saw our New Hampshire plates and knocked on the window of the home we were visiting and asked if anyone was from Maine. As we talked and he found out who my dad was, he said, “I know Milty!” I couldn’t believe it! 3,000 miles from home and someone knew my dad.
Dad was a man of honor, love, care and generosity. Everyone knew that if they needed something, Milt was the man to go to. As a business owner, there was a time he was owed $50,000 in unpaid invoices. Eventually, he realized that holding onto those invoices were causing him to be bitter and unforgiving. He then started a fire in a barrel and burned all the invoices and released to God the debt others owed him, and experienced freedom himself.
One of the nights I was with him in the hospital, he recited Psalm 103 by memory, which is not a short chapter. As his strength failed, he would point his finger in the air and say, “it’s all in the good Lord’s hands”. He knew he would be either healed in this life or in heaven. He trusted His Heavenly Father either way.
When someone is dying their words are precious and full of meaning. Besides sharing his love for his family, dad made a statement to me that I have realized was simply profound. He nailed what life is all about as he said, “All that matters is to love God, love people and do the best you can.” Those words are just as relevant today as ever.
Jesus said something very similar in Matthew 22:37-39 when He said, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” Fortunately, God empowers us to live it out when we yield our lives to Him.
In honor of Father’s Day here is a poem I wrote for my dad on his 80th birthday.
A man of peace
A man of strength
A man of duty
A man of sacrifice
A man of wisdom
A man of hope
A man of love
A man of perseverance
A man of forgiveness
A man of goodness
A man of patience
A man of kindness
A man of protection
A man of provision
A man of truth
A man of integrity
A man of character
A man of courage
A man of faith
A man of righteousness
A man of honor
A man of gentleness
A man of passion
A man of blessing
Thank you Dad for being a man of God!
Whether you are a man or woman, let’s aim to live out these qualities in our lives. Let’s seek to live out the final words of my father, “Love God, love others and do the best you can”. It doesn’t get much simpler or profound then that.
Happy Father’s Day to all you dads!
Know that your Heavenly Father loves you with an everlasting love.
Love you much!
Dean
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