Monday, August 31, 2009

A special man--My Dad



Who could have known that when a little boy called Charles was born on a farm in Weir, Mississippi 87 years ago September 4 that he would be a man that would have been all over the world by this time in his life? When he was born there was already a little brother. His grandfather had been a circuit preacher who had several churches he oversaw by horseback .. sometimes in the snow. His Daddy and Mother loved the Lord and they taught the boys that they were someday to serve the Lord in whatever way He called them.
Charles grew up with his two other brothers, Paul and much later W.A. They helped their Dad and they Mother with all the work that a farm entails. Sometimes it was outside work, and other times they had inside work, which included help in in the kitchen since there were no girls to take up the slack. We kids grew up hearing all the stories of milking cows, and all the things that they grew up doing.

I have heard stories of the time they bought their first car..in the little town of Weir, Mississippi where it was news when people had a car. Here Daddy is sitting on the hood of their car, while brother Paul stands looking on and Mother Velma sits in car. There always was such a sense of gratitude for the things that the Lord provided this little family. These boys grew up knowing that God had a definite plan for their lives. They learned to give the Lord the tenth of whatever little money came through their hands. Daddy kept a little tin box for years that reminded him of his first tithes that he gave to the Lord.



As a young man, Charles learned God's ways. In one of his old Bibles He wrote: When I make a decision how to know if it is:

Right or wrong?

1. How does it affect me?

2. How does it affect others and my influence on them?

3. How does it affect the cause of Christ?

Will it meet the tests of:

1. Secrecy? (within)

2. Universality? (without)

3. Prayer? (above)

Growing up in my home in Argentina and Spain with several times in the U.S. for our times of "furlough" I saw my Daddy put those rules into practice. Many times when we were making decisions those thought came into play.

When he met and ultimately married Nella Dean Mitchell or Indy as most people knew her, he practiced those rules in his relationship with her. They both knew they were called to go for the Lord to somewhere where they spoke Spanish.. and soon they began studying Spanish in Medellin, Colombia and then on to Argentina. They were married in June and in August were studying in Medellin. I know the adjustments must have been great for this couple who had been raised simply on farms in Louisville, and Weir MS. They couldn't send an e-mail, nor Skype, no see their folks on a webcam. My grandparents in Louisville didn't even have a phone.




As we kids appeared on the scene we felt Daddy's love for us. Many times I have gone back to those old pictures of me and my Daddy to remember how much he loved me. Since Daddy grew up with only brothers I am sure he learned a lot when I was born, learning to understand that little girl that God had given them. I have never doubted the love of my Daddy and when I grew to know of my Heavenly Daddy, I had a great picture of His love for me just looking into my Daddy's eyes.

Pretty soon I was learning to share my Daddy with my little brother David. I'm sure with all his responsibilities as a teacher in the Seminary there in Buenos Aires, and pastoral work my Daddy must have been tired some days but he always seemed to have for us.





When we moved to Spain ,Margaret came to join our family and here you can see my Daddy coming home from the Seminary and taking time to spend time with his now three children.




About six years later when we had really thought that our family would stay a family of 5 we were blessed with our youngest brother, John. We, children, were thrilled beyond measure to have another member in our family. I'm sure that it took some adjustments for Daddy and Mother after going 7 years since the last baby. Along came John...

By then David and I were preadolescents, so my parents were dealing with all that brings with it and a young child at the same time. I have been amazed as we have raised our own children at the pacience that my Dad had with us.







So after being in the Iberian peninsula in Spain for many years, then some years in the Canary Islands, and finally the last years of their ministry in Equatorial Guinea [the only country in Africa that speaks Spanish] my parents retired. They helped train young missionary candidates for several years and then they lived in their own home for a period of time and eventually moved into Trace Pointe Assisted Living. I watched as they adjusted to the life of retirement. They actually never retired from their concern for people's lives. They have been a blessing there where they are .. to the other retirees.


Life has not been a bed of roses for my Dad. He lost his central vision with Macular Degeneration and then my mother went deeper into Altzheimer's. She has progressed into total care there at Trace Point and I know how hard it has been for my Daddy after 62 years of marriage to feel like he is "loosing her a little bit at a time." He lives in his own efficiency apartment in the afternoon and night and spends the morning with my mother. Life is lonely at times for Daddy, not having my mother's fellowship a lot of the time.

I have been blessed to see how my Daddy has walked this time out. He prays faithfully for his children, and his many grandchildren and now great children. He "reads" a lot of books with books for the blind on cassette tapes. He listens faithfully to his three chapters a days of the Bible on Cassette Tape. He ministers from time to time in the daily devotionals held every week day for the residents. The latest hard thing for him was to lose his hearing out of one ear.. and that threw him further off balance. Even with all that my Daddy hesitates to tell me how he is.. he doesn't want to give me an "organ" recital. He always points out to me when we talk on the phone that "others have it a lot worse than I do".

So thinking about this approaching birthday of my soon to be 87 year old Daddy I am so thankful for the man he is. He still delights in his children, his grandchildren, and now in his great grandchildren. I am so grateful for all that his life has been to me his oldest daughter. He won't be able to see this because of his Macular Degeneration. He was enjoying using the computer before he lost his vision. I lament that fact at times, but he has been able to accept his limitations and move on. I honor my Daddy.. I am of all women blessed to have such a man as my Daddy. I have asked that the Lord prepare my heart for the day when he will call him home but I am thankful that now he is still here and I always look forward to the phone calls to him and the times when I can spend time with him.


My Daddy is indeed "like a tree planted by streams of water, which has yielded his fruit in season and whose leaf has not withered. Whatever he has done has prospered. " I honor Charles Whitten, who "has delighted in the law of the Lord and has meditated on it day and night." just as it says in Psalm 1. What a heritage he has given me!