Wednesday, March 07, 2007

A son's words to his father

This morning I read John Piper's beautiful and moving journal entry narrating his father, William S. H. Piper's death giving God glory for his father's life. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Piper family.

As a parent I am so moved by these words spoken from a son,

"Thank you, Daddy. Thank you for 61 years of faithfulness to me. I am simply looking into his face now. Thank you. You were a good Father. You never put me down. Discipline, yes. Spankings, yes. But you never scorned me. You never treated me with contempt. You never spoke of my future with hopelessness in your voice. You believed God’s hand was on me. You approved of my ministry. You prayed for me. Every day. That may be the biggest change in these new days: Daddy is no longer praying for me."
I did not know this man in life, but in death his life has impacted mine to press on and finish the race that is set before me that the Gospel will be revealed in my own life and many will come to know our Savior.

8 comments:

Lori said...

Amen! I have been feeling a joyful sorrow this morning.

Brenda said...

That's soooo neat...thanks for sharing it!

Cyndi said...

Yes, this was incredibly beautiful and so very moving. Ever the "shepherd," Piper is shoeing us how to truly honor a father in his passing, as well as model how we'd love to parent.

melanie said...

it would be incredible to know the prayers that have been offered up to us even that we are unaware of, and the blessings from generations past. i often wonder in my own life what prayers lifted me through, because nothing has been on my own! what a testimony as a father.

Kelly said...

William Piper was truly a "succesful" parent--I pray to impact my children in that way through God's direction.

Deidre said...

Oh, I love this, thanks for sharing. I so want to impact my children in that way. That the most precious things I can give them is prayer and pointing them to Jesus.

Diane Viere said...

That is simply--breathtakingly--beautiful.

Diane

Kim said...

Those same words impacted me,also!

Kim