Bob DeLong

Kid’s Hope and Houston reVision Mentor, Joy and Genesis Class member

Colossians 3:12 (NIV)

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.

Reflection:

I was reared in a devotedly Christian home.  My parents grew up on family farms and were Deacons in our small Brethren church. The family was heavily involved in church activities throughout the week. Church, work around the house, school, music, sports, and visiting relatives were our life. My parents were quiet people, who taught and led by example. My mother stopped working to take care of her four kids, and my father was a blue collar worker. My parents taught us to have faith in God, support the church, help others, love your family, and always do your best. My two brothers, my sister, and I all earned advanced degrees, despite our family’s limited academic history and financial resources.

Colossians 3:12 has become a favorite Bible verse, because it brings back memories of my dad, who exhibited those Christian habits his entire life. Dad was always the first one to be there for neighbors, friends, relatives, and even strangers, if he found out they needed help. It could be small things, like house repairs or needing food, or it sometimes involved ongoing assistance, like regularly transporting someone somewhere or helping with chores. Dad’s garden was about a third the size of a football field, which fed more than the family. For decades, he was the primary maintenance and repair person for the church. Dad never seemed to take time for himself, and didn’t know how to be idle.

I deeply loved and respected my dad, but as I became an adult, I wondered why he had not become more than a factory worker. He never talked much about his youth or early adulthood. As I worked toward a career, which took several drastic turns, I sometimes resented that others had been given advantages that allowed them to “succeed”. As my dad grew older, he finally opened up about his younger years, and I was embarrassed at some of my selfish thoughts.

When dad was 13, his father was diagnosed with cancer. As the oldest son, running the farm and looking after his two younger brothers and three younger sisters, became his main responsibility. He had little time for school, although he graduated from high school. World War II began soon after, and dad now had additional responsibilities. As a devout Brethren, he believed it was wrong to kill others, and made the difficult choice to become a conscientious objector. Dad was ridiculed for his stance, but it allowed him to help maintain two other family farms, while the men went to war. Dad loved his country, and after a couple of years, he decided to join the army, to help the cause however he could without carrying a gun. He became a medic, and served at a medical base in the Pacific, where the wounded were first brought for treatment. When dad returned from the war, the family farm had been sold to support his parents and siblings.

As he grew old, dad had many stories about working the farm and serving in the military. Previously, he didn’t want others to know how much he had sacrificed to help and improve the lives of others. Compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and perseverance, are a pretty good summary of my dad’s life, if you add faith and love of God. My father’s joy in the hours before his passing, when he knew that he was heading to his permanent home, is one of the transformative events in my faith journey. My dad (and mom) had provided me everything I needed to know- Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.

Prayer:

Lord, thank you for putting so many wonderful Christian people in my life. Please open my heart and mind, so I am filled with your hope, love, joy, and peace, not just during the Advent season, but throughout the year. Guide me to clothe myself with the skills, which Paul taught us to practice in our lives. Help me to remember that you make all things possible, if I have faith and follow Jesus’ teachings. Amen.