My Dad was a quiet, humble man. Many other characteristics could be used to describe him, such as genuine, honest, hard-working, and compassionate. He wasn’t perfect, because he was human. But because he was my daddy, in my eyes he was perfect. And I’m sure my Dad saw my imperfections, but he overlooked my flaws and loved me unconditionally. That’s how our heavenly Father looks at us. As His children, because of Christ living in us, our Father sees us as perfect.

My Dad loved to joke and pick with people. His sense of humor stayed with him up until the end of his ability to communicate. One of the hospice nurses suggested to my Mom that she cut a t-shirt up the back so it would be easier to dress him in his weakened state. After he had been bathed and settled into his bed, I went to speak to him. He said, “I don’t know what I’m going to do with Momma.” I said, “Why daddy?” He said, “She’s cutting up my t-shirts. She’s going to break me.”

Friday morning as I was trying to wake up, and was drifting in and out of sleep, I had this glimpse of Daddy standing in a doorway. He was young and strong in appearance, and he was holding his belt in his hand. At that point, I woke up. I couldn’t get that dream out of my mind, but wondered what him holding his belt in his hand meant. I got out my Bible and began looking up passages about belts. The belt was used to confine clothes close to the body. It was also used to carry things such as a person’s money purse or weapons.

In Mark 6:8, when Jesus sent out his disciples on missionary journeys, He instructed them to take nothing with them, no money in their belt.

And He instructed them that they were to take nothing for their journey, except a mere staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belt.  Mark 6:8 NASB

In Ephesians 6:14, Christians are to gird themselves with the belt of truth. That belt, being a part of the armor, also held other defensive weapons.

¹³ Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist on the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. ¹⁴ Stand firm therefore, having belted your waist with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, ¹⁵ and having strapped on your feet the preparation of the gospel of peace; ^16]in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.   Ephesians 6:13-17 NASB

The more I thought of seeing Dad holding his belt, the more I felt like he was saying, “I’m taking off my belt. I’m done with my journey. I have no need to carry any money, because where I’m going, the streets are paved with gold. No need to carry my weapons, I’m done with my fight. I don’t need to be girded with truth, because I’m going to be in the very presence of the Way, the Truth and the Life.”  

⁶ Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.”  John 14:6 NASB

One day when he was in the hospital, he motioned me to come beside him. He took hold of my hand and we had a good talk. He asked me to promise him something. He said, “When I pass, I want you to rejoice!”

So, I’m doing my best. I’m going to praise my heavenly Father because He has welcomed my Daddy home. Daddy has taken off his belt and his journey on this earth is complete. He’s ready to worship. And now my Daddy is completely and totally perfect.

In another conversation Dad had with my daughter while he was still in the hospital, he told her that he was getting ready to go on a new journey, one from which he wasn’t coming back. That journey will be one that will last for all eternity.

Journey on, Dad.