I recall the first time I heard my Dad read aloud publicly. It was painful for all involved – every other word was followed by an “uh” as he struggled to make out the next word. I couldn’t understand how a man who could calculate the cost of lumber in his head and repeatedly tell a story hitting the punch line precisely, could not read aloud. Somehow, Dad had “slipped through the cracks” in public education without anyone- his teachers, his parents, or his siblings, recognizing he had capabilities far beyond what he demonstrated. Eventually, through a lot of effort by Mom and the grace of God, Dad became an accomplished reader who was honored to conduct Ray Roberts’ funeral and kept a handwritten copy of the message that he had read aloud.
But, I get ahead of myself in this story. Mom seldom asked Dad to do anything. When he was at home, he always sat in his chair, watched television, and smoked. Mom never missed Sunday School and insisted that Steve and I attend with her, but Dad either worked at the Boat Dock or went up on Frisco Hills and helped barbecue. Mom would also drive herself to Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting alone while Steve, Dad and I watched TV. On one cold winter Wednesday evening, she simply said to Dad, “It seems that you could at least drive me to Prayer Meeting”, so he did. He would drive her to Prayer Meeting, let her out, and then sit in the car and smoke while she was inside. One bitter cold Wednesday night, Dad decided whatever was going on inside would be better than freezing in the car, so he got out of the car, went inside, warmed his hands by the wood-burning stove in the middle of the church house, then sit down by Mom. Wisely, Maudie David proceeded with the lesson, hardly acknowledging Dad.
Over the next several Wednesday nights, Dad continued to drive Mom to Prayer Meeting, would come inside, and warm himself by the wood burning stove. As he listened to the lessons, he discovered something he never expected. Like most of us, Dad assumed Christianity was all about doing the best we could and hoping that God would be pleased with our efforts. But, these Christians were very different from what he imagined. They believed the Bible taught there was absolutely nothing we could do that was good enough to win God’s favor. Instead, they believed God loved us so much that He sent His only Son Jesus to die on the cross in our place and to forgive every wrong thing we had done in their entire lives. Eventually, Dad trusted this Jesus to be his Lord and his Savior and received this new life.
Early on, Dad didn’t talk a lot about his faith, but it was evident to everyone; he had been a very impatient and demanding, now he was becoming more and more patient and understanding and was noticeably less demanding. He read his BIble and attended church with Mom, Steve, and me. He was asked to become the Assistant Sunday School Superintendent. Initially he hesitated, but agreed after he learned the Assistant Superintendent only filled in when the Superintendent was absent and the Superintendent had only missed one Sunday in twenty years. Ironically, the Superintendent resigned within the year and Dad became the Superintendent and was responsible for reading a devotional passage from the Bible aloud, which is where we started this story.
Dad almost “slipped through the cracks” EDUCATIONALLY and SPIRITUALLY. Fortunately, by the grace of God, he had a second opportunity to learn about God’s provision for us and to accept that provision by confessing Jesus as Lord and believing that God raised Jesus from the dead. Dad also had a second chance in education and learned to read in his forties. He spent the next forty years reading his Bible daily. How thankful we are that he didn’t “slip through the cracks” the second time.
Bradley Roberts Wyatt 