by Steve Hale
Memories flooded through my mind at an astonishing rate. Tears flowed down my cheeks as I thought of him. I remembered us sitting together through a driving rain at a Tech football game, and the time he took me to a knee specialist in Nashville after tearing ligaments in my knee playing football.
I thought about his reactions when we told him about our first, second, then third "child on the way." I thought about him teaching me to play golf, throw a baseball, or fire a rifle. I was thinking about...my dad.
These memories struck me after I had accidentally dropped his knife at the lake while we are on vacation in Crossville last year. I just stood on the dock and cried as I remembered and longed for my dad.
On further reflection, how fortunate I was to have had a dedicated dad that loved me. I think of the little orphan girl in Krasnoarmeysk who was dropped and left at the orphanage because she had the chicken pox. I think about the struggling children brother Barnhill told us they service through Agape.
At least I have memories of my Dad's involvement in my life. How many children, unfortunately, don't.
We have a Heavenly Father that wants to be involved in our lives. He gave-up His Son to save us from our sins. Through Him, He wants to adopt us
as his own: "to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons" ( Galatians 4:6, NKJV).
By the way, as we were renting a pontoon boat, we told the dock workers about what had happened. One of them had a metal detector and magnet. So, while we were out fishing, he searched the muddy bottom of the lake, and found my Dad's knife!
I was overwhelmed with joy. Something that I thought was hopelessly lost had been found! God feels the same about one of his lost children ( Luke 15:1ff.).
Has God adopted and found you?