“Father of a Preacher Man”

There are things that lift you to the heavens and others that bring you to your knees. Then there are some things that do both. Today was such a day. I went to church and listened to my son preach. Now I have heard my son Sean speak in church before but that was when he was speaking as a Youth Minister. Today he was speaking as a preacher invited to a church to be the main speaker on a Sunday morning.

Before he preached he was nervous, and so was I. It isn’t that I didn’t have confidence in his abilities, I know how talented he is. Plus I knew God would take care of him. Still I wanted everything to go great for him so I was praying hard and often.

From his opening words I knew he was going to reach the congregation. And when he removed his jacket in order to preach I knew they were going to relate to him. He spoke without notes and he was quoting scripture right and left. That seminary training really paid off.

As he spoke I couldn’t keep my mind from going back over the different phases of his life. Sean was born a “golden boy.” He had blonde hair from birth and bright blue eyes. He was also the sweetest kid you could ever want to know. He just exuded love and I remember he would grab your leg and just hug you for no reason other than the fact you were there.

He was small child until the summer before the tenth grade. Then he exploded and grew and expanded. The football coaches at his high school had largely ignored him but now they came calling. Heck they came begging. So he went out for the team and made the team in the eleventh grade.

Sean was a good football player in spite of his good spirits. He was the kid who would knock you down and then help you up. He had great enthusiasm and great team spirit and was the one who encouraged all the other players on the team. He loved the camaraderie of team sports and the just hanging out with the guys.

When he went to college he joined a fraternity. That surprised us all because his brother had always told him fraternity brothers were the best friends money could buy (there is sarcasm in there). Sean though loved it even though he was not a drinker. His “brothers” called him “preacher” and he was always the designated driver.

Sean knew he wanted to be a Youth Minister from the earliest days. He worked at churches before, during and after he attended college. Then he attended Asbury College in Kentucky and worked there too.

He has always been the type of child and adult you have to pinch yourself to make sure you aren’t dreaming him. Not that he is perfect, he isn’t. But he isn’t bad either. He is someone I would want to be friends with even if he wasn’t my son.

Today was a momentous day. I was so proud I could have burst. I have been called many things in my life but “father of a preacher man” might be the best appellation yet.
 

 

 

 

 

©2008 Jackie K. Cooper

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