I cannot give enough thanks to all those who've been faithfully praying for my father, and for his overall health and for his eternal salvation...
He's a strong-willed man. My Dad is a survivor, too. And he's also ninety-nine years old. However, during our phone conversation earlier this afternoon, my Dad told me that he's now feeling weaker, physically. He doesn't believe he'll live to see one hundred.
I love my father very much, and having to hear these words from his mouth are now weighing heavy on my heart. So I wrote him the following in a letter which will go out with tomorrow's mail:
"Dearest Dad... I'm glad you said what you did because it's always better
to unburden your heart and not keep things inside. We men often have great
difficulty expressing our emotions and sharing our feelings...
"I cannot begin to express how I wish things were different for us. I wish I could
start my life over again, this time older and wiser, and much more appreciative
of all the love and care you and Mommy gave to me. I miss you, and I miss Mom.
I remember the good times we had together, and I will never forget them. You
and Mommy treated me so special, and I was a very blessed young boy. In spite
of all my behavioral problems and difficulties, my life was much better with you
and Mom as my parents than had I grown up in Brooklyn with my birth mother,
even though she was a nice and kindhearted woman. Dad, she would not have
been able to provide for me. Plus her boyfriend, the man who was my birth father,
would not have wanted me. So I would have been lonely and miserable if I had
to grow up in that household.
"Having you and Mommy as my parents was the best thing that could've happened
to me. Thank you, Dad, for being such a wonderful father. I know that, if I didn't
have the problems I did, and if I didn't take the wrong turns that I did during a very
troubled and vulnerable time in my life right after I got out of the Army and tried
to reconnect with old friends and find new ones, etc., I would not be here today. I'd
probably have long since gotten married and had kids. And you'd be a grandfather,
too. I'm sorry, Dad.
"Dad, there are many days when I cry too. You're not the only one. We both hurt a
lot on the inside. The inner pain we both have is very intense. I don't think it will
ever go away in our lifetime, either. However, I do know that one day I will be
leaving this earth. And I am going to heaven because I believe in Jesus, that He is
the promised Messiah of the Jews. Jesus (Yeshua) died for my sins, and I believe
He arose from the grave. I am fully confident in this and I have no doubts.
"So when it is time for me to leave this world, I know without a doubt that I am
going to a better place. I wish you could join me... Dad, you can come with me to
Heaven if you simply receive Jesus as your Messiah, if you ask Him even right at
this moment to forgive you of all your sins, and to help you. God loves you, Dad.
He has blessed you with good genes to live a long life. But eternally is far more
important than even this life. Nothing can be compared to it. And nothing can be
compared to living in Heaven together with a loving Messiah as our King. I love
you always.
Your son, David"
D.B.
I love my father very much, and having to hear these words from his mouth are now weighing heavy on my heart. So I wrote him the following in a letter which will go out with tomorrow's mail:
"Dearest Dad... I'm glad you said what you did because it's always better
to unburden your heart and not keep things inside. We men often have great
difficulty expressing our emotions and sharing our feelings...
"I cannot begin to express how I wish things were different for us. I wish I could
start my life over again, this time older and wiser, and much more appreciative
of all the love and care you and Mommy gave to me. I miss you, and I miss Mom.
I remember the good times we had together, and I will never forget them. You
and Mommy treated me so special, and I was a very blessed young boy. In spite
of all my behavioral problems and difficulties, my life was much better with you
and Mom as my parents than had I grown up in Brooklyn with my birth mother,
even though she was a nice and kindhearted woman. Dad, she would not have
been able to provide for me. Plus her boyfriend, the man who was my birth father,
would not have wanted me. So I would have been lonely and miserable if I had
to grow up in that household.
"Having you and Mommy as my parents was the best thing that could've happened
to me. Thank you, Dad, for being such a wonderful father. I know that, if I didn't
have the problems I did, and if I didn't take the wrong turns that I did during a very
troubled and vulnerable time in my life right after I got out of the Army and tried
to reconnect with old friends and find new ones, etc., I would not be here today. I'd
probably have long since gotten married and had kids. And you'd be a grandfather,
too. I'm sorry, Dad.
"Dad, there are many days when I cry too. You're not the only one. We both hurt a
lot on the inside. The inner pain we both have is very intense. I don't think it will
ever go away in our lifetime, either. However, I do know that one day I will be
leaving this earth. And I am going to heaven because I believe in Jesus, that He is
the promised Messiah of the Jews. Jesus (Yeshua) died for my sins, and I believe
He arose from the grave. I am fully confident in this and I have no doubts.
"So when it is time for me to leave this world, I know without a doubt that I am
going to a better place. I wish you could join me... Dad, you can come with me to
Heaven if you simply receive Jesus as your Messiah, if you ask Him even right at
this moment to forgive you of all your sins, and to help you. God loves you, Dad.
He has blessed you with good genes to live a long life. But eternally is far more
important than even this life. Nothing can be compared to it. And nothing can be
compared to living in Heaven together with a loving Messiah as our King. I love
you always.
Your son, David"
D.B.
