You're Gonna Miss This

Friday afternoon I was at lunch with a friend when my mom called. I actually don't even remember what she called for but as I was getting off the phone she says "hold on daddy wants to talk to you". He got on the phone and told me that he thought about me the night before because he saw a video on TV that made him think of me. He says I don't know what the song was called but it was a long haired guy. I immediately knew what he was talking about and began to tear up because every time I heard the song I would think it reminded me so much of my life. I told dad it was "Your Gonna Miss This" by Trace Adkins and that I knew what song it was because I thought of my parents and my life with DJ every time I heard the song - he got chocked up and I began to cry too. My dad is such a wonderful man. He always has been but over the past few years he has become a different kind of wonderful.
I always love to talk to my dad because I rarely do talk to him as dad isn't one for the phone and I live 3 hours away from him. Generally when dad calls it's to let DJ and I know he loves us and to call him if we need anything. Up until this past year, anytime I saw "Dad" come up on my caller id - I automatically thought something was wrong. Over the past year though my dad has called me more often and most every time it is just to tell me that he loves me or that something reminded him of me. I put my dad through some some very hard times in his life but I honestly believe that because of those things my dad has become an even better preacher and pastor than he was before. Each year that passes my dad becomes a greater dad, pastor, man, and friend - which is amazing to me because he has always been great at each of those things. Most people that were raised in the same enviroment and upbringing that I was could not say that no matter what they do or choices that they make their parents will still be there and support them. I can. No matter what my decisions in life are, I know that my parents will never shut me out of their life. They may not agree with my decisions, but they will just give them to God.
One of the best messages that my dad preaches "Ride out Your Storm" he talks of one of the greatest storms in his life. A storm that I put him into, a storm that has made all of our lives enriched with a wonderful little girl that none of us could imagine life without. A storm that I know my dad would NEVER choose to give up. My dad has gone through a lot in his 50 + years of living, he recently in the past few years lost not only his brother but also his best friend - something that was so hard to watch my dad go through. There are so many things in my dad's life that he has gone through - some things I am not at liberty to just tell the world, but each of those things have made my dad a better person and in most cases my dad was the bigger better person and did as the Bible says and "turned the other cheek". I cannot think of a greater man. My dad truly is my hero.
If you haven't heard this song, check out the link to the video (click on the title of this blog)- it's a great song with a wonderful meaning.