Yesterday was Fathers Day and it was also the 12 year anniversary of my father's death. Felix was such a unique guy. He grew up in the foster system in Baltimore but was still very close with his three brothers. His mother was the most influential person in his life.
My father was a teacher both in school and in life. There was a lesson for everything. In fact me and my brothers Jay and Adam used to joke "here comes speech #..."
But what my father was really about was love. Love your family, love your friends, love a stranger, love yourself. My father knew what love was, and he knew what love wasn't.
1 Corinthians 13:4-10 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
The Bible teaches that our character is revealed by the fruit that God produces in our lives. Specifically Galatians 5:22-23 says But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law
Those who knew my father would tell you with absolute certainty that his life produced every single one of the nine fruit. But what I find most fascinating is God's sense of humor. Of all the fruit that my father produced, those who knew him best would say that "Gentleness" was his greatest fruit.
After Carolyn passed away I spoke with an old friend who had treated my father for Crohns disease starting in the 1970's before anyone really knew what the disease was. This was before the 4 bowel resections, before the colostomy and before the shunt was inserted in his chest to feed him...Dr. Morowitz said "your father was the gentlest man I ever met". A similar comment was made by an attorney friend of dads.
The reason this is God's sense of humor is because in the entire Bible only 2 people were referred to as "gentle"...and one of the 2 was Moses. Felix' middle name....Moses!! And if you want to know how I was given my middle name, just ask!
Isn't great how God has it all mapped out. His plan is perfect. We are where we are because that's where the Lord wants us. Our strengths, our weaknesses, our fears, our greatest triumphs and our most tragic failures are all for God's glory.
As I look back on all the wonderful lessons he taught, I made a list of the 10 most important lessons Felix taught.
1. Know right from wrong
Isaiah 5:20 Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.
2. Be a man of your word
Psalm 25:21 May integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope is in you
3. Be a do'er not a say'er
Ecclesiastes 6:11 The more the words, the less the meaning, and how does that profit anyone
James 2:22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,"and he was called God's friend
4. You can do anything once you put your mind to it
Luke 1:37 For nothing is impossible with God
Matthew 9:26 "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible
5. Your word is your bond
Psalm 64:10 Let the righteous rejoice in the LORD and take refuge in him; let all the upright in heart praise him
6. You don't owe anybody
Romans 13:7 Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor
Romans 13:8 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another
7. You do because you want to do
Proverbs 24:29 Do not say, "I'll do to him as he has done to me; I'll pay that man back for what he did."
2 Corinthians 9:11 You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.
8. You don't hate
1John 4:20 If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.
James 1:19 My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.
9. You don't use people
Deuteronomy 15:10 Give generously to him and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to
Psalm 110:12 Good will come to him who is generous and lends freely, who conducts his affairs with justice
10. If you're going to do it, do it right.
Colossians 3:23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, 24since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.
