Years ago, when we had that birthday and anniversary program at 9:15, I read a poem about a father leaving a good name to his son, saying it's all he has to give, and for the youngster to wear it carefully.

But you can give a subject to a hundred poets and each will come up with an entirely different slant on a subject. For example, a few years ago

I wrote a poem for my Dad and It's called "Daddy's Shoes." It goes like this:

When I was young, I'd try on Daddy's shoes...

I'd scoot around, and everyone would smile.

They'd pat me on the head and say, (amused)

"Don't worry, you'll grow to them, afterwhile..."

But now, a lot of years have come and gone,

And looking at His life, it's plain to see...

As hopefully, again I try them on...

His shoes I find...are still too big for me.

I'm sure you get the point. My Dad preached for 50 years, to the kind of people Jesus came to save...the down and out, the poor, the kind that sometimes had given up hope.

And there's simply no way to estimate how many he led to the Lord through his preaching, and his example. I was one of them, and that's what my poem is about, that I wrote many years later.

Yes, he saw the poem and he knew how I felt about him.  And I told him many times how proud I was of him. Because although physicians can often save a life, Dad saved souls. And that was infinitely more important.

Tell your Dad that you appreciate him. You have no idea how it will help him.

37bt Bill Thornton April 28, 1993