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DAD IS SACRIFICE EMBODIED
Jennie Flinch wrote of her father’s words to her; “and my dad drilled into my head you know if you want it bad enough and you’re willing to make the sacrifices you can do it. He could say this because he as dad made tremendous sacrifices”. That is your dad too. He is good at sacrificing. Your dad is great at this. Dad has perfected the art that even when he has to do it, it seems so normal. When God decided it was time to bring you into the world to effect some change, he looked over at dad and said “man you’d have to learn some new virtue, sacrifice” . Dad said “alright”. God told him how you would have to learn to share that little you have with mom and then the children that will come through you both. Dad’s eye would have been like wow! What a hack this will be! Nevertheless, dad had to learn to take responsibility first of his wife your mom. Dad had to share his income with mom. It seemed he was going to cope with mom alone. But hush! You came through and certainly it seem a little hell was about to let loose. But dad calmed his nerves as the learning process for what will be a sacrificial life all the way would begin.
From the moment your dad knew you were being welcomed, his eating habit changed, his spending habit changed and he wasn’t only thinking of himself and his dear wife alone, he was now thinking of you. Right from when you were in the womb, he had to develop a new mentality, “my baby’s coming and I just have to give him/her that perfect welcome” . He left all his convenience to ensure he provides you with the clothing, food and other necessities you would need. Immediately you gave that shriek of survival into earth, dad knew his first examination on sacrifice had begun. He would have to spare more time than he would have. Your dad passed this examination. You are who you are today because dad did not think of himself first. He thought about you before himself. He wondered on what you would eat, drink and he succeeded in sacrificing it all to ensure you that comes first ahead of all the persons in the universe.
As you are grow into adolescence and perhaps adulthood, your need has continued to increase unabated, your food need increases, you have academic needs, you have health needs and everything falls on dad’s table. But dad does not look puzzled anymore because he has come to realize that the dad thing is about the philosophy called “dads sacrifice”. He knows it is his responsibility to see you stand amidst your friends the best. And he is pushing hard and doing the best he can to ensure this is achieved. Do you know there are times dad would wish he had some things that he does not get because of you? Yes, there are times like that. He lets them go but rather tries to satisfy your needs. Dad is learning from God his greatest mentor and Super Dad who chose to lose the joy of his son sitting by his side to a sinful world to win more sons.
Bertrand Hubbard made this quote, “I’ve had a hard life but my hardships are nothing against the hardships father went through in order to get me to where I started.”Like Bertrand’s dad, dad is giving so much to give you a great start at life. Dad knows that the best out of you is worth sacrificing so much. Do you remember David? Yes, you will. David sacrificed so much to ensure his son Solomon built a temple for God, a temple himself could not build. David wanted the absolute success of his son. Your dad is the same. He is looking at the absolute you and saying ah! Son, daughter, there is a place I see you are going to be in a few years from now and I am ready to pay the price to ensure you reach there. His father did same and he is not out of place doing that for you. He is saddled with this responsibility. Your dad’s desire is to satisfy your hunger and thirst even if it does not suit him; he just has to do it.
He has to wake very early when you are still sleeping to prepare for work and comes back home last. Sometimes he wishes he could have more time with you. But he has to sacrifice to satisfy all your material needs. Sometimes he suffers insult and derogatory statements are thrown at him but he accepts them all the same.
There have been times when the economy would have had its toll on dad. Dad would have lost his job once or more but even through these challenging times, he ensured he was there around you to meet with your own challenges. You come first to him. He would prefer going hungry to ensure you are satisfied. What a privilege you have at no cost? It is a special privilege.
Unlike most other persons around you who would give you support because of the so called profit they would benefit from you, dad’s desire is for you to reach the heights himself would have loved to reach that he never reached even though he had surpassed his own dad’s mark. With dad,it is a win win situation, which means you both are winners in the winning streak. With others it is a win, lose. Hold dad, cherish dad, encourage dad, support him and believe in him. He is all ears to see you become that great man or woman he had ways dreamed off and more.
If you want to learn sacrifice, then go ahead and ask dad how he does it. It is very certain he will tell you every great achiever has sacrifice written on their fore head. Dad is saying ‘’higo son, higo daughter, higo child, I am willing to pay every prize. All I want from you is to go all the miles. I want to be the father of the greatest child that ever live