Thoughts on Discipleship by Dr. W. A. Dillard - HTML preview

THOUGHTS ABOUT DAD

“And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture

and admonition of the Lord.” Eph. 6:4.

It is Father’s Day! I wish to say that my dad, Clifford Homer Dillard was born in 1907, in Sebastian County, Arkansas, one of eight siblings. His mom died when he was still a young boy. He contracted polio at age seven. As a consequence, his left arm and leg were underdeveloped, and he had to wear a special built up shoe. He and mom both went no further than the third grade in school, but that would be equivalent to junior high school today in core subjects.

The Great Depression made life hard for everybody, and especially dad’s family. There was no indoor plumbing, electricity, or other utility in those days. Life had not changed much from what folks experienced 300 years before, but back to the point. of this article. Dad did not want, nor would he accept, sympathy from anyone. He would work harder than most able bodied men to prove his capability, and willingness to get the job done. Because putting food on the table was a primary driving force, the tools of gardening and wood chopping were well cared for and he demanded they be sharp. Of course, when I had used a file enough to make the metal shiny, and thought it was acceptable, I can still hear him say, “Son, I have felt sharper edges than that on an old Razorback hog!” Dad always worked hard, but above all, Dad loved God, and he revered His Word. We walked to church, but we went to church every Sunday without question. There were circuit rider preachers, so every fourth Sunday we had preaching, and the preacher always had dinner at our house. When there was no preacher, dad gave an extended devotional after Sunday school. Later, he shouted in church when I surrendered to preach.

There were teeth (rather, razor straps) in dad’s laws, and love that was more often understood than spoken, but it was never doubted. If a preacher of proper faith happened to be in the area and wanted to preach, whether on a Sunday or in an extended (protracted) revival meeting, the community always directed the preacher to dad. He was always thrilled at the prospect and would help to round up a crowd for the preacher.

On cherished fishing trips to local streams, especially at night when trotlines were used, dad would build a fire and we would sit around it, listening to him tell a wonderful, practical, Bible story. He has been gone for a lot of years now, but he still lives in my heart and in my thinking and actions. God has blessed me so abundantly to have a faithful, devoted, Christian dad. I therefore appeal to dads everywhere to teach and encourage children in the Lord. There is no better investment in a man’s life! I honor him for contributing so much to the kind of Christian I am!

FOR THOUGHT: What are your thoughts about your dad? If they are similar to mine, you have great cause to rejoice. If they are not, what can you do to provide such an heritage for others?