Top Ten Things I Admired about Dad

I was thinking today about the top ten things I admired about my Dad. Here's the list I came up with:

10. He was organized.
In the days before computers, his district treasurer book of spreadsheets was about six inches thick. The master of the file cabinet. He got his mother's bookkeeping skills, it seems. He would time our rest stops for fun, to see how quickly we pulled it off.

9. He was good with numbers.
We used to race to see who could add up the cost of the bill at Morrison's cafeteria first. He usually won. I only beat him at chess once, and that was when he was half asleep on a transatlantic flight.

8. He was responsible.
He was someone you could trust with a job. You knew he would come through. If he said he was going to meet someone somewhere, he would be there.

7. He was funny.
I'm pretty sure he got his dry sense of humor from his mom's family, the Millers. He often embarrassed me at restaurants with waitresses who thought he was serious with some joke.

6. He knew everything.
Well, I know now that he didn't. But I sure thought he could solve any problem. And he had a keen sense of direction--wicked with a map. He would love Google maps!

5. He was always there to help.
He was the first port of call on the phone when something happened. Car problem. Money problem. Call Dad.

4. He was reasonable.
He was always willing to consider an opposing point of view, even if he was pretty firm in what he thought. He could usually see the other side. He was also willing to examine himself. He was willing to give way or meet in the middle when appropriate.

3. He was principled.
My Dad had convictions. In my opinion, he wasn't judgmental toward those who disagreed, but he held to his. He would not work on Sunday even when it would have meant extra money. He did not watch TV on Sunday so he wouldn't put football above worship. He paid tithe even when he believed he had backslidden during WW2.

2. He was sacrificial.
He gave everything away, especially to his kids. He'd have starved to death before he'd have let one of his children go without.

1. He was faithful.
He was faithful to church and to his denomination, the Wesleyan Church (he could cite The Discipline). He was faithful to his family, no matter what. He was faithful to my mother, no matter what (he regularly did what she preferred, even when he didn't).

He was faithful to God, no matter what.

Happy Father's Day in heaven, Dad!