4 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, 5 My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: 6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?  8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.
9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? 10 For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.
11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.
Hebrews 12:4-11

 

Ahh the stoicism of the German-Swedish man I call Daddy. Expressive eyes of deep sapphire blue. A firm hand and a stern voice demanding obedience. No tolerance for disrespect. An easy smile. A jack-of-all-trades. A man I watched God transform in the “blink of an eye.” (II Corinthians 5:17) The stone of faith he laid for me was the “fear of the Lord.” The absolute awe of one who loves deeply and how love and healthy fear were inseparable and provided a safety net of protection into which one can fall. I never wanted to disappoint Daddy and had nothing but adoration for him. This IS the picture of the “fear of the LORD!”

As I share these stories of those in my stadium, I am sharing them not in order of importance but in the order they sat down in the “cloud”. As they were raised to their new positions; I was unaware of their continued watchful concern. What a thrill to learn from the Word of God they were not “in the cemetery” but still a very active participant in my life. (Hebrews 12:1-4) The grave holds only their bodily remains, not the souls of those who love the Lord! (Luke 23:42-24, I Thessalonians 4:13-18) These are standing before God the Father interceding for me with Christ at the right hand of God. (Romans 8:34, Ephesians 2:6) Is there a greater gift to give someone?

          

 

  Daddy is such an endearing term. Jesus called His Father, Abba. The Hebrew equivalent of our English, Daddy, meaning “strong leader of the house”. (Romans 8:15) My Daddy was just that–a strong leader of our house! To just say his name brings a smile, sense of security, love, and tears. He was called home when I was a freshman in college during finals for the first semester. His passing left a hole in our family that has never been filled. He was only 5”8” but a giant in the eyes of his bride and brood of four. He was so loved and he loved us!

 

,

I could share much about him. How God saved him and filled him with His Holy Spirit and how EVERYTHING changed. I could tell you how hard he worked to provide for his family. I could share the disappointments, failed dreams, and how he was loved by everyone who knew him. I could share with you what a disciplinarian he was. I could share the sheer joy of being in his workshop with him and how he supported our lives. I could relate to you how this man of God made sure his children always had a home and food and fun and a childhood and an education. But, what stands out is the last time I heard him pray. He was asked to word our congregational morning prayer during worship. (Daddy had a ninth grade education! An orphan at age five and basically raised by older siblings, aunts and uncles.) When he opened his mouth, you could have heard a pin drop and the Spirit of God was palpable. The Holy Spirit spoke using Daddy’s voice with simple eloquence. I wish I could remember every word. Sadly, I only remember the atmosphere. It was as if “tongues of fire” swept through the room. (Acts 2:3) Everyone in the room KNEW they had been ushered into the Presence of Almighty God and this man belonged to Him. (James 4:8, Hebrews 10:19-22) We were standing on holy ground…………

 

Just a few short months later we received word Daddy had been summoned “home”. (Hebrews 13:14) Devastation descended on our home. We were comforted by hundreds who came to our home, his funeral service, sent cards, brought food, and sent money. The gift that stands out to me was one I only heard about from my heartbroken Mamma. It seems my Daddy’s fellow merchant seamen (a rough and rowdy group) had watched his silent witness of faith in the months preceding his death among them. They collected a monetary gift of giant proportions in comparison to the norm of the day and sent a letter, signed by all his ship mates, stating how they admired his faith, how he NEVER ate a meal with bowing his head in a prayer of thanksgiving, never said a cuss word, and could be seen with his open Bible on his bunk every day (Colossians 3:12-14).

A quiet life lived out loud. A relationship with the God of the Universe. A faith in Jesus as Savior. A love for his family orphans, and the destitute. This is the man who cheers me and my siblings on from his seat. Each day, I strive to make him proud of me: To live my life in a way that never dishonors the name Hess he gave me. His life has been remembered by having a nephew and grandson named for him: Victor, it means conqueror. (Romans 8:31-39) Even today, nearly five decades (how can this be?) since he took his last earthly breath, I still have people share with me the impact he had on their life. To be sure, he passed on his passions to his four children: a love of family, dogs, the sea, and most importantly the Word of God and faith in Jesus, the One and Only Son of God. We all have a soft spot for military personnel, a hitch-hiker, the homeless, the orphan, the widow, and the oppressed. He treated each and every soul he met with dignity and respect. He was no respecter of persons. (Acts 10:34, Romans 2:11-16, James 2:9) He showed by example the peaceable fruits of righteousness brought to his life by the God he served unapologetically. (I Peter 3:15)

As I look high in the stands, I see a giant of the faith standing intently interested in all I do. I am thankful for the applause I hear when I do well and for the hands clasped in prayer when I am weak, fail, and struggle. What a gift he was to me: fear (awe) of the Lord lived daily for all to see. This is the stone I now stand upon.

Treading among the chosen,

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHzi61iC8Tw

Old Rugged Cross by Elvis Presley

This was his favorite hymn for he understood exactly what the cross did.

Yvonne H Jones