September 14: Remembering Dad on his birthday

He'd have been 64 now and I would have said wow but just how?

Not much of tearful memories of the past. Hadn't been to his grave to place flowers or even to clean it up for a while now. Though am crossing Trichy multitude moments in a month and even had time to pray and sing a song or two at the altar in St.John's church when no one was around, I didn't feel like visiting his grave last month.

As I remembered how Dad would get us all ready for church on a Sunday, I remembered how he used to rush to St.John's church immediately after lunch on a Sunday..........Being there until the Tempo Trax came to pick people heading to Olaiyur for the Sunday's village ministry. I remembered how those villagers who, one by one, got rid of their drinking habits and started attending church and even got baptized. Those Villagers from Olaiyur were the last ones to pay tribute to my dad as his casket was lowered into the pit and it was one real soul-stirring tribute if I could recall.

If I could do just one thing to my dad on his birthday, it could just mean that I should continue from where he had left............. do the ministry among villagers, atleast on a Sunday. I picked my Bible and waited at St.John's Methodist Church Madurai for the Van to come and pick us up, little knowing that the Pastor would ask me to preach to the villagers today.

Happy Birthday my Dearest Daddy