A No Nonsense Kind of Guy

There are people that treat you one way to your face, yet talk trash behind your back, out of your presence.  When these negative comments find their way back, and they usually do, they cut deeply like a sharp knife depending upon the remarks and who made them.

The Bible instructs us in (Romans 12:9) to love without dissimulation.  “Let love be without hypocrisy.  Abhor what is evil.  Cling to what is good.”  Back stabbing with cruel remarks bring resentment and distain to the one being talked about.  It can cause hurt feelings and impair relationships.

My mother was never one to speak harsh words about anyone.  I cannot remember her ever badmouthing another person.  Mom had a heart of gold that was filled with compassion.  Tenderness was manifested to everyone she met.  In her presence you felt the warmth of God’s love radiating like a Buck stove on a cold winder’s night. 

Mom’s close relationship with the Lord was the endearing factor that drew others to her.  Everyone loved Mom Boyd.  Kindheartedness looked beyond another person’s shortcomings, while her soft spoken nature made you feel secure and loved; a kindness that was unmistakably God.

Dad, on the other hand, was Dad.  If he didn’t agree with what you were doing or something you said, he didn’t hesitate, or hold back in telling you just what he thought and felt.  He preferred to speak his mind to your face rather than behind your back.  He wasn’t part of the church’s rumor mill bunch, and he didn’t involve himself with scuttlebutt, nor subscribe to malicious gossip.    

At times he would draft a letter of correction, or a note of constructive criticism, and mail it to the person he disagreed with.  I remember many conversations he had with Mom in the privacy of our home, discussing people that he butted heads with, because of differing viewpoints.  He was set in his ways and no-one could sway him to think otherwise if he believed that he was right.

Dad seldom expressed verbal compliments to anyone, but rather showed his love through the deeds he did on occasion for people.  It wasn’t in his makeup to say, “I love you,” or “You did a good job.”  It was always, “You can do better!” whereas, Mom was gracious, loving and kind.  I thank God for Mom that expressed her love to me in both word and deed. 

Mom was not the disciplinarian in our family; Dad was.  He believed strongly that a child should obey their parents.  He raised me and my three siblings to respect authority.  He challenged us to be the best at whatever we set our minds to do.  He formed good work ethics in all of us, notwithstanding, sensitivity to the awesomeness of God.  But we never heard the words, “I love you.”

I sometimes think about Dad; remembering the negative parts of growing up, and sadly focusing on the “what-ifs” of the less tender side of Dad, rather than allowing my mind to center upon the greater heritage that he left me.  Were it not for his teachings concerning the importance of serving God and making heaven my home, I might be lost in a cesspool of sin and degradation.  

I knew he loved me, but I didn’t realize how much I loved him until after he was gone.  Time and separation have a way of revealing such things.

Though I felt Dad was hard at times and believed that he could have used different tactics when handling certain situations, never the less, he sowed the seed of God’s love in my heart.  When I was older, searching for peace, strength and direction, Dad’s training surfaced.  I knew how to find happiness; Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God.

I cannot tell you the content of the many prayers that Dad prayed as I was growing up; only that he prayed.  I witnessed, first hand, answers to Dad’s prayers, because he trusted God’s sovereignty.  Through his example I learned to trust God whenever I pray. 

Though Dad was deficient in outward expressions of tenderness, he taught me about God and His love.  Mom’s tender arms made up for the lack of Dad’s touch.  His firm belief in God is the weld that bonds me to his memory.

Dad was a no-nonsense kind of guy.  At times it was hard to accept his attitude and opinions, but he raised me with integrity, honesty and a love for God.  What more could I ask for?  He showed me, the Way, the Truth and the Life—Jesus.  For this I am blessed beyond words.

If you are battling a memory that raises its ugly head from time to time, remember, God wants to be your Heavenly Father and love you with a never ending love.  Jesus desires to stroke your brow, and hold you close, while saying, “I love you.” 

The Bible gives directions on how to have a personal relationship with the Lord.  The scriptures are God’s love letters to us; in them we find what our heart is longing for.  They teach us how to become a no-nonsense kind of guy, having tenderness and love, with a soft, gentle spirit.

Written by,

Papa Boyd