I was

serving as the Division Chaplain at Fort Wainwright in

Fairbanks, Alaska from 1990-1992. The first year Dee and

I, Nikki and Robbie were there, we attended the Post

Chapel on Sunday mornings for both Sunday school and the

weekly worship services. It would be warm inside with the

heaters turned up and the Spirit of God in our hearts,

while outside, the temperatures could be from minus 20 to

minus 50 degrees below zero.

One of the

chaplains sponsored a program for us at the chapel

entitled "Dad, The Family Shepherd". It was a

program just for fathers and espoused some very wonderful

precepts. In the seminar we were told that a father will

affect 6 generations that follow him. It was said that no

matter what he professes, whether it be good or bad, it

will certainly affect the next 6 generations. In this

seminar, they had tracked enough families through

research to know this to be true.

I thought

of my own father who died almost four years ago and is

buried in Fairburn. Dad still speaks to me from the

grave. I still feel his influence and love every time I

think of him. I remember a thousand memories of the

wonderful times we spent together and would give anything

to be able to spend just a day with him and let him know

how much we miss him and love him. Thanks be to God that

I will see him again because of my relationship with

Jesus Christ.

Dad had

gone blind and was cripple and had dementia for the last

10 years of his life and so I would go over my folks

house almost every day and go in and have prayer with him

and see Mom. Many days we would put him in the car and

take him driving and go get something to eat. He would

just sit there and smile and enjoy being with his family.

He also was crazy about "Kit-Kat candy bars. Every

time I pass the candy rack at Krogers, I think of him.

I remember

one day when I was visiting him that he said to me

"Son, we don't have any unfinished business between

us, do we?" I thought for a while and said "No

Dad, I can't think of any" and he said "I don't

have any either". We then told each other how much

we loved each other and I left.

If your

parents are still living, have that conversation with

them before time robs you of the opportunity. If you

don't have an "Abba" father relationship with

your heavenly father, take care of that spiritual

relationship on Father's Day 1999 too! God bless you and

your father today.

(Dr. Knox Herndon is a

recently retired U.S. Army chaplain and pastor of His

House Community Church, 193 Johnson Ave., Fayetteville,

behind the Mask Tire Co. Herndon can be reached at

770-719-2365 or by e-mail, [email protected] .)

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