I've thought about my dad this Thanksgiving more than ever. My parents were married for eight years, had four boys in that time. Yesterday mom told me of the untimeliness of the eighth anniversary of their marriage. It was the wake of my father. My dad, Martin Currat died on Thanksgiving day 1980 and on December second was the wake/ anniversary. I never connected those two bits of info, until mom told me yesterday. Now in high school I had heard tapes of the service, photos and newspaper articles regarding my father's death, Many many people had kind words about the person my dad was as he was very active in the Colorado Mountain Club and Ski Patrol.
My favorite detail of my dad was that he made my mom's wedding ring. I was dearly loved by my father, growing up I used to try and be like him. He made gold and silver teeth, climbed many famous mountains, he always wore a bandana and whistled lots. Martin could fit many stereotypes of being Swiss (although I've never heard him yodel). We have some sweet cow bells at home!! I was two years old when he died and since then I can think of only one other event that compares to the life-long impact of losing my dad.
A fatherless life is all I've known. My grief and blame was much different than an abandoned or abusive father. I couldn't say how selfish or lousy my dad was; so my contempt was placed on God for his indifference in killing my dad. Nature took him in an avalanche -not a gun or a noose. All my grief, anger, isolation, and blame was forgiven the day I gave my life to Jesus Christ. This is the only event to eclipse not having a father. By mercy and grace from Jesus I have endured my father's death to become a son for God the Eternal Father.
How must God the Father have felt to see His own innocent Son die unjustly -excruciatingly spilling all of His life out. That was so God can tell me "Nic I can relate to your dad dying trajically." In Christ is my healing and justice. God is my father... to me, He is the father in the Prodical Son story. God has wrapped me in his best cloak, place a ring on me, and sandles on my feet. Embracing me and kissing me with compassion as a father would his own son. All the discipline, commitment, and motivation a father shows can be found in the Bible. With Jesus' forgiveness, the omnipotence of God turns to a greatly comforting force in my everyday life. I'm not scared or chicken-shit addicted to temporary fixes.
I wonder about my dad because faith in Jesus was never mentioned when discribing who Martin was. So then why would God not use me as a tool for evangelizing to my dad. I wonder if he prayed. I pray for my understanding. Christ, to me, is all truth. so the idea that my father lived without the truth makes me want to tell him about Jesus is that wrong or childish? Can't I get just one chance. I'm trying that with my living family members. I pray for the Holy Spirit to fill my family up with the love of Jesus. Courage is needed so I thank God for His Holy Spirit.
