Almost two years ago my father passed away after living with Alzhiemers for 10 years. Henry was a wonderful father who taught me patience, love and responsibility...qualities I would need when leading singles. You see Henry was my step-dad. He married my mom at a time in my life when I was overly head-strong and confident. A time when I was broken. A time that I did not know the Lord. Henry, my dad somehow found a way to reach me. He peeled away the layers of my pain to reveal things in myself that I never knew were there. He would love me in a way my birth father never had. He would love my mother as I would learn of how Christ loved the church.

After my dad's death my mom started the very difficult process of packing up his things. I remember seeing her sitting on the side of the bed, looking off in the distance, trying to grasp the loss. How would she live without him. How would she go on. She knew he was now healed and with Jesus, but that comfort wasn't working. She wanted him back but of course, not in the state of pain he was in.

She went into the kitchen and got a small white trash bag and yelled to me to come and help. She went through his personal items, gathering them quickly to put in the bag as to avoid the pain. She put his Close-up toothpaste and toothbrush, his baby powder, his razor, his cologne (English Leather was all he ever wore) and finally his comb. I grabbed the comb from her hand and lifted it to my nose. "Hey mom, it smells like dad...here, smell." My mom took a whiff and smiled. As she finished putting all his toiletries and personal items in bags, she asked me to take them to my home and store for now. She knew no one would want them and she was not able to let them go just yet.

Upon taking them to my home one of the bags tore and out fell my dad's comb. I grabbed it and again took a whiff. A tear rolled down my face. It was like he was right here in my car. "Flossy (my nickname), how do you like this new car ya got here...I love it dad." "So what kind of mileage do you ya get?" "I don't really know dad." I decided not to put the comb in the bag but instead store it in my pen holder in my car. Ever so often I would grab it and take a whiff. I miss you dad. I miss you.

Last month while traveling to my younger brother's Steve's home, I took my niece and nephew to Chuck E. Cheese. I shared with them about the comb. They both wanted to smell it and said, wow, that smells like Boppa. They missed him too.

Thank you Lord for the little things in life that hold no worldly value but instead hold an eternal value. Thanks for my dad's comb, his memory and what he taught me. To love you, to allow you to love me and to share my life with others. Whether you are in singles ministry or any other kind, it all starts with His love and what His love did on the cross for you and me.

Thanks Abba and dad.