A Difference Maker

We're taking an emergency trip to visit with one of the most influential Difference Makers that has ever impacted my life. He is a man of modest means with a generous spirit. He is man of unyielding principle, but gentle in every respect.

His life is a classic American story. His mother was an immigrant from Czechoslovakia at age 17. She raised eight children on a very meger income. Some of his siblings were raised in foster homes. He is the youngest of the eight; the baby of the family.

As a young man he learned the value of hard work. This training provided him the fortitude to complete his college education while still holding down a full-time teaching job at a vocational school. In addition, he operated a part-time home improvement business in the evenings and on Saturdays.

He was and is a faithful husband. His first wife passed away in 1994 after 43 years of marriage. The following year, he met a lady that has complemented his life for the past 9 years. During his first marriage, he not only met the needs of his job, part-time business and church responsibilities, but cared for his ailing wife for a period of over 10 years.

He is the epitome of character. His word is his bond. His life is an example of consistency and constancy. Faithfulness and selflessness characterize his service to his home, church and community.

All this to say I am going to spend some precious time with my dad. No business, job or earthly good comes close to the value this man has added to my life. He is a Difference Maker. His example set in motion the events that shaped my habits, my home and my values. I'm not sure how much more time I'll have to share with him, but this I know, I'll take every possible moment that the Good Lord provides.

I'll "talk" to you when I return next week. Maybe I'll pass through your state on the way. Hopefully those with whom my wife, daughter and I come in contact will sense something different as a result of our meeting. Remember,

Always make a difference!