To My Son.

I Kings 2:2
(King David talking with his son, Solomon)--
I go the way of all the earth; be strong, therefore, and prove yourself a man.

Has it really been 41 years? 
I enjoyed being with you yesterday, even if it was only to help move furniture.
I kept thinking to myself, "Who are you? What happened to that little boy that use to burn the candle at both ends?
Oh, I know who you are...you are my first born son.
But yesterday, I saw you as a man. It wasn't the first time this has happened, it occurs quiet frequently. It's kind of like having trees in your yard and one day you stop to really look at them, and your amazed at how much they have grown.

In the case of you, my son, the verse above where King David charges his son, Solomon, does not apply to you. You have proven yourself to be a man.
You have overcome obstacles and problems that others would have given up on. I know that at time, you too wanted to quit. You thought it.....you considered it.....you may have even verbalized it. But in the end, you didn't.
You kept on. You applied yourself with a greater zeal to see the task through to completion. You overcame.

I've watched you grow in God over the years.
You have always been passionate when it came to Jesus and the relationship you have with Him.
You took your talent in music and returned it back to Him through your worship.
You studied His word.
You surrounded yourself with good people who were like minded, and on a journey to know Jesus even better.
You have found the truth for yourself, that "Everyone Gets To Play" in the Kingdom.
That's one of the things I've always admired about you. You never wanted to be a spectator, you wanted to be in there "Doing the stuff" that Jesus did.

I've seen how much you love your family.....
It is very evident by the way you expend yourself to take care of them.
I guess if I could attribute a motto that would explain your love of family, it would be "Whatever it takes".  That what you are willing to do to see that your wife and children are taken care of. 

I've watched you with your children.
The tenderness and love that you show your daughter will go a long way with her in the future. Because you show her what love is....real love, she will not fall for the first thing that comes along.

I've watched as you have poured yourself into your son. I remember the day he was born and you held him in your arms....You may not have spoken it out loud, but I know that silently you prayed and committed yourself to see that Tyler was raised in the ways of Lord. And I have watched you do exactly this as Tyler has grown.

I've watched you in your role as husband to your wife.
How you have given yourself to her...
To cherish, love and honor..
To protect and serve.
Like your mother and I, there were rocky places along the way in your marriage. But the two of you worked through them. Isn't that what marriage truly is about? The two, under the guidance of the Father, face whatever has come their way and move through it. I'm proud of the husband you have turned out to be.

I remember the day you were born.
I was 22 and your mother was 20.
We were babes ourselves.
I was scared to death. I knew nothing about being a father. I knew nothing about taking care of you. But you know what? All that melted away the first time I held you in my arms. Oh the fear kind of lingered in the background, but I was filled with an incredible sense of wonder that God would entrust me with you. And that every decision I would make carried with it an impact on your life and who you would become. 
I remember driving home the night you were born. "I'm a father! What? Yes! I'm a father!".

You have brought me much joy over the years as I watched you grow to the man you are. Proud? You bet I'm proud of you.
On this day, my son, I pray that you understand how much I love you. I also pray that you understand how much God loves you, and that it become an even deeper awareness of the Father's love for you.

So on this day, Chad, celebrate life.
Celebrate 41 years of joy, tears, struggles and triumphs.
And in your celebration, know that I admire the man you have become.
Happy Birthday, my son.
I love you.
Dad.