I AM

This is the second time me writing this post… as plans have changed since I first typed it.

First, an update on my Dad. He isn’t doing well, but even as I type that, I know that regardless of his condition, God is in control, so it really doesn’t matter, does it? NO matter how bad it gets, God’s power doesn’t change. He’s always almighty. Nothings every too hard for him. I’d never really thought about that before, but it’s comforting.

Anyway, right now they are planning to perform a bypass surgery, which for most people is ALMOST routine by now since they have to do it so much. But it’s very risky for my Dad, due to some other complications he has (I won’t go into all the details) and regardless, he’ll be at high risk for the rest of his life and have to be on a ton of medications (he’s only 54…)

My heart is very full right now, of emotion, of fear, of worry, and most of all, of love for my wonderful Daddy. The thought of him not being here… oh my I really can’t even think about that now. At all.

I wanna do two things today.

First, another top ten, in honor of my daddy. So, here goes:

Top Ten Things I LOVE about my Dad

1. I love that I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that my Daddy loves me. No matter what, during our good times and our rough ones, I never thought otherwise.
2. My dad is funny. OH MY GOODNESS is he funny. We spent the afternoon laughing today after he got out of the procedure they did this morning. It was a great time for my sisters, brother, mom and dad (except maybe dad… he kept telling us to be quit because laughing hurt)
3. My daddy takes care of me. When I’m sad, he gives me the biggest hugs. When I need help, he’s the first to volunteer.
4. My daddy loves to dream. I asked him one time when I was little, why mom and him always had these big dreams that I never could see a way of them happening, and he just looked at me and said, “Krista, Never EVER stop dreaming. If you don’t dream it, it will NEVER happen.” That totally rocked my world, I gotta say.
5. My daddy is a gentleman. Even though I make a case that I’m (flexes muscles) strong… he always yells at me for carrying something heavy and goes out of his way to do the things a “man” should do for a lady.
6. He loves my Mom. No matter how much he teases her, I know that he’s madly in love with her. He teases about not buying her anything expensive for Christmas (he is a BIT of a tight-wad) but then goes down Mom’s Christmas list and tries to hit every single thing! It’s SO cute!
7. He works hard. My daddy taught me the value of hard work, and practiced what he taught daily.
8. He’s a GREAT grandpa. We went to the hospital the other day and Gab’s sat on his lap and just gabbed and gabbed and gabbed about everything under the sun, and Daddy just smiled and nodded and laughed with her. It was so sweet. He loves his grandkids, even though he can only handle them in spurts (heck, I can only handle them in spurts!)
9. He’s honest. I’ve never EVER doubted my Daddy’s integrity. It was such a GREAT example for me.
10. Most importantly: My Daddy loves Jesus. He’s taken me to church all my life, I’ve watched him read his Bible, pray, and speak into my life at times when he probably didn’t realize the impact of it.

Second thing

I was driving home from the hospital today, and this song played right before I got home. Of course I cried, but it was so what I needed to hear at a time when I was scared, nervous, and fretting BIG time. Jesus is our everything. Our “I AM.” No matter what happens, God is. When all else seems hopeless, God is. Even if everything else fails, God is.

Discussion: What is God to you today? Fill in this sentence… as if Jesus is speaking to you, “I am __________” If you’re like me, that changes everyday.

Today, Jesus is saying to me, “I am your rock, your steady hand, your sane one in all the maddness.”

What is he to you?