Today, Fathers’ Day, I am blessed to be getting cards and presents from my wonderful Daughter, Sarah and wonderful Son, David!  I am also thinking of my Dad, George. I am remembering how something  came to mind that comforted me when his life on earth came to an end. It was the memory of hearing a young woman many years earlier, who in the process of introducing herself to us all at the start of a talk said, “I have four children, 3 here and one who is living in heaven with Jesus.”  That came back to me with great clarity and all of a sudden I saw it: I still have a Dad! He is living in heaven with the God who said long after the patriarchs had left this earthly scene, “I AM (Not “I was”) THE GOD  OF ABRAHAM AND ISAAC AND JACOB.” To that list of names you can add many more names including GEORGE WILLIAMSON BORTHWICK! Jesus told us that “God is not the God of the dead but of the living.” So today I am thankful that I have a Dad who still lives. One day I will see him again for sure because we both put our trust in the cross of Christ.

Does he think of me? I don’t doubt it for a minute. I know one thing he will be doing for sure: he will be praying for my Mum, my sister, myself, his grandchildren, great-grandchildren and the wider family. I know that because he loved us all. In heaven he loves us no less. He always prayed for us all here so why would he have stopped?

I know something else he will be doing too: he will be singing, praising, worshipping. He loved to sing here, the only problem was though he could hold  a tune it was rarely the same tune  that everyone else was singing! His favourite hymn included the line, “For He has kindly promised that even I may go, to sing among his angels because He loves me so!” No one will be giving him side long looks any more, but will be amazed at how he loves to sing more than most.

So I know for sure I have a Dad who is living in heaven, who prays and who sings. I am confident of this too; that Jesus does not mind when from time to time I pray, “Jesus, if it is ok to ask you this, could you tell my Dad I love him and miss him?” How will Jesus do that if he chooses so to do? I have no idea. Perhaps things are just known there. Sometimes though because of the story of  Peter being miraculously released from prison, then knocking at the door of a house, and people thinking it was his angel rather than him,well, I wonder can our guardian angels look like us? Perhaps Jesus will send my  angel that looks like me to my Dad! Perhaps my angel can for a moment be sent from beholding my heavenly Father’s face,  which is the usual place you would find my angel according to Jesus’ words,  and be sent not to minister  to me on the earth, but to  my Dad in heaven. It wouldn’t take long; angels move swiftly to do their Master’s bidding. Maybe these thoughts are just the result of medication?  Are they fantasy, fact or faith? I don’t know. Please don’t scorn the idea but dismiss it kindly as the imagination of love, if you feel you must.  Perhaps “according to your faith be it unto you” applies, perhaps not. Perhaps though, before you think I have lost it completely you should remember that God is heartrendingly unimaginably  beautiful, and as compassionate to His children in heaven as He is to His children on earth.

Apart from the last few sentences, these were my early morning thoughts this Father’s Day, drinking my  cup of tea at   7 o’clock, and feeling thankful. I updated my thoughts at 2.30pm as I thought more about my Dad living in heaven… and I am still feeling as thankful as I was in the morning, and always will be.

Kenny