Fathers Day

A.M Rush

Homecoming August 22, 2006



Dad had his homecoming last year, after a wonderful 4 months post-diagnosis of cancer, with most of his family around him.

For those of you that knew him, or didn't, this is his legacy ...

He was born in 1926 to a Jewish father and Gentile mother, that would both die when he was 11. Raised by his grandparents, and sent to military academy in Lexington, TN - he would go on to teach flying to those in the Army Air Corp at 16. His first love was flying, having solo'd at the age of 9.

At 18, he fell in love, got married, having two great kids- Randy and Robin. Years later, his marriage failing and without hope, he put a gun to his head in despair and pulled the trigger. The gun didn't fire, and he decided to give God a chance - knowing that he could always try suicide again if God wasn't real.

God was real, and although his marriage finally ended when his wife left him and gained custody of the kids, he continued on in the walk that was before him. His heart ached every day after that for the loss that he had in not being there for his kids -- and he talked of it right to the end. He regreted not fighting for them harder, but in the day, fathers did not have the opportunites that exist now in those situations. Randy would pass away at the age of 19, and Robin would eventually lose contact with him as well shortly after his first grandchild was born. At the end, he still apoke of his love for them, how he missed them, and how his heart ached not knowing if they had truly made a commitment to turn their lives over to God.

Eventually, he remarried and I was born. Dad spent his life populating heaven, whether by bringing hitchhikers home, praying over everyone including witches and mediums that were speaking on the talk show he filmed daily in LA, leaving tracks at every place he ever stopped, teaching in homes, talking to people on the street, or by living his life as an example of what God can do to a man who trusts Him.

My dad was funny, loving and my best friend. He was someone who was knocked around in his personal life, but trusted God that it was all in the plan. He loved his kids, my mom and life.

No one that came in contact with him, was untouched by his faith. No one.

When he became sick, and after he died, we heard so much about the man he was -- more so sometimes that I think I knew. Right to the end, he made sure he was still touching lives, standing in the gap. He sat my kids down, who were 11 and 12, and told them about what Revelation says will happen soon and what they need to watch for, pray for and be prepared for. He prayed over them and loved them with every fiber of his being.

He made sure that my mom had something to remember him by at her birthday and their anniversary, since this would be last ones right before he died. He planned to have them renew their wedding vows, something he never wanted to do and fought against, because he knew it would mean so much to my mom. And they did -- and it was beautiful.

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When someone close to you gets sick, you can reach out and treasure the moments-- or you can deny the reality and lose those moments until its too late. You can shut out those around you, and project feelings of anger at the one who is soon to leave.

All of this is natural -- but please be careful.

Those are moments you will never recapture. Although the person that is soon to leave may understand, the feeling that you are left with after they are gone can be brutal --- grief is not an eay journey in itself, but lighting the path you must walk wiht hot coals does not make it any easier.

If you are faced with loss, treasure the time and give of yourself, rather than focus on yourself.

Make the memories --- I miss my dad, but my heart is full and so are my memories. Even when he was not lucent enough to have a real conversation -and thought I sold fish every day -- those funny conversations are memories I will relive, laugh at and cling to every moment that I miss him so mcu that I feel I cannot take another breath.

Most of all, know your future. Know where your faith lies and where your eternal soul rests. Be assured that your soul has found its place through a commitment to Christ.

If you do not know Christ as your personal saviour, contact us -- pick up a Bible -- go to church --- talk to someone you know that does know God as their personal Lord and Saviour --- or fall on your knees and just ask God to reveal himself to you and be Lord of your life.

That would be the best Fathers Day present you could give yourself. That is the legacy that my dad left --- to fill another place in Heaven with another soul that will never know pain or suffering again once they reach their eternal home.

Celebrate the Day! Celebrate Life! Celebrate the freedom that we have in Christ.

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We all want to make our place in this world
We all want our voices to be heard
Everyone wants a chance to be someone
We all have dreams we need to dream
But sweeter than any star you can reach
Is when you reach and find you've found someone
You'll hold this world's most priceless thing
The greatest gift this life can bring
If you can look back and know
You were loved.


You can have diamonds in your hand.
Have all the riches in the land
Without love do you really have a thing
When someone cares that you're alive
When someone finds their world in your eyes
Then you'll know you've find all you need
You'll hold this world's most priceless prize
The sweetest treasure in this world
If you can look back and say
You were loved


So many roads that you can take
Whatever way you go
Don't take that road alone
Better you should know...
You were loved by someone
Touched by someone
Held by someone
Meant something to someone
Loved somebody
Touched somebody's heart along the way
You can look back and say
You did OK
You were loved.
So remember to tell that one
You are loved.

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Happy Fathers Day