A Father's Day Tribute

His name is Clinton Mitchell Rivers—my father. He was a great guy. But, we have problems with our fathers don't we...it is said "fathers always bruise our sons and pamper their daughters"...My father worked all the time and when he wasn't working he had on occasion (daily ) drunk a bit too much—and gamble the family 's weekly wages. Bad combination—drinking and gambling for a guy who was a bartender from 8 am to 11 pm each day . He worked for years at the Elk's Club of Hendersonville. But, oh, how I loved him...just as our Heavenly Father loves us. Clint was not a nice person when he drank. But, I know in his own way he loved Ruby and his four kids as we grew up living just above the poverty line. We went to church each Sunday...he would not. I guess it was those long Saturday nights risking what little he made for us as he attempted to gain more at a gambling house. I could see when we returned home on those Sundays his desire to have gone with us. He always would say "God have mercy on my soul".

I would see him go to work every day... hangover or not. He taught me about working. In time we came to know Jesus and the church, before him, or did we? We prayed a lot for him even though he made our lives hard. We prayed for years and one day later in our lives ...near the end of his...he committed himself to the Lord. Brother Woods sat and studied with him. I was literally able to see a miracle.. God take a 30-year addiction and bring it to an end. He never missed another Sunday worship.

It is hard being a father...but to me it is one of life's greatest blessing and honor as well. I know how much I love my kids as you do, fathers. And in doing so, I can see how God can love such ones as we...sinful yet precious..where is the template for being a good dad?...in Heaven...For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son (John 3:16). I forgave my father before he passed on into glory . I think it freed him and me both. Do you need to call and forgive yours or your children? What has it meant to you to have our Heavenly Father forgive you and me.

I sat with my father as he took his last breaths on this earth. He really had a great heart, for when he sensed and saw a tear flow from my eye he quietly left not wanting to see us suffer...such love.... BE GREAT FATHERS---LOVE UNCONDITIONALLY.
HAPPY FATHER'S DAY.
-Gary Rivers