Ten Years Ago Today

Ten years ago today, June 27, 2013, my father (Maynor Reed) received the “upward call” to heaven (Philippians 3:14 ESV). In some ways, it’s hard to believe dad has been gone from us for a decade.

While he is gone, he’s not forgotten. His legacy of faith and faithful service has stayed with me. Here are ten reasons I have for thanking God for my dad’s impact on my life (and that of so many others as well).

1.Faithfulness. Dad was faithful to the Lord until the end of his days. In fact, the last words he spoke were, “I love Jesus.” He was also faithful to my mom for the 57 years of their marriage. Together they gave their three children and nine grandchildren a godly example to follow.

2. Credibility. I grew up having my dad also be my pastor. Until I left home for college, he was the only pastor I’d ever had. One of the things I value about him was the way he was the same man at church as he was at home. The same in public and in private. What he preached on Sunday, he consistently sought to live out on Monday through Saturday.

3. Joy. Even amidst the demands and pressures of ministry, he remained joyful. He loved to joke and laugh. I still smile when I think of some of his “dad jokes.” The Christian faith I grew up seeing was serious but not somber. It bubbled up with joy.

4. Others. My dad taught me to take an interest in other people. He showed me the way to do this: ask them questions to draw them out. He didn’t let the conversation centre around him. He used well-chosen questions to focus on others in a way that helped them feel loved and valued.

5. Faith. My dad was a man who knew God was great. So he believed God could be trusted to do great things. When our downtown church ran out of room, he trusted God to provide property for a new church building. When funds were tight, he trusted God to provide all our financial needs. I grew up with a front row seat to see God do amazing things in answer to prayer.

6. Peacemaking. Dad had a special way of stepping into tense situations in order to bring people together who had been at odds. He was a peacemaker who helped people find agreement and unity in the Lord.

7. Family. My dad excelled as a father and grandfather. All our three children have happy memories of fun times with him. Just ask one of them and they’ll tell you!

8. Sports. During his college days, my dad was a cross-state champion in tennis. His love for sports was something he shared with me. He pitched for our church softball team and regularly showed up to cheer me on when I played basketball or tennis. He took me to Major League baseball games and college football games.

9. Prayer. As I grew up and headed into ministry, one of the things I could always count on was having dad (and mom) pray for me. When I shared a problem I was facing, he would always say, “I will be praying with you about that need.” What a gift!

10. Fruitfulness. A pivotal verse in his life was John 15:16  “You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.” Over the 84 years of his life, God allowed him to bear much fruit in the lives of his family, congregation, and wider community.

On this 10th anniversary of his homegoing, I give thanks to God for giving me a father on earth who pointed me to the Father in heaven.