Just Like Dad

Pulling into the parking lot of the Tropical Smoothie Cafe, I chose my parking spot carefully. I normally don't care where I park, but since my bicycle was on the rack on the back of my car, I selected a spot where I would be able to see it. After ordering my smoothie, I sat down by the window and picked a seat where I could sip my peaches n' silk while still keeping an eye on my bike...since it is probably the most valuable thing that I own. 

That's when it hit me. I am being just like my dad!

I had no reason to be worried about anyone stealing my bike. Out of habit, I did what I have always seen my dad do - I parked close by and sat by the window so I could watch my bike. He always does that, and now here I was doing it, too! 

Do you ever have those moments when you realize that you are acting just like one of your parents? When I pack a suitcase and find myself rolling up all my clothes instead of folding them and then packing them neatly inside, I think, oh my goodness, I am just like my dad right now! Or when I build a campfire with a little tee-pee of tiny twigs, I remember that I learned that from him. When I enjoy a long bike ride and finish strong on a big hill, it is pretty clear that I really am like him in many ways. I check my oil once a month because he does. I know how to mow the lawn back and forth in the pattern that he likes. I can use a drill, hammer, and nails because of watching him. I guess they say, "the apple doesn't fall far from the tree", and I think that is very true of my dad and me. 

Other people recognize it, too. Sometimes they say that we physically resemble each other, but most of the time they notice that we act the same or talk the same or just think about things the same way. For me, that is a high honor. I want to resemble my dad in the way that he loves the outdoors, cares about other people, is faithful to his family and responsibilities, and is passionate about the study and teaching of God's Word. 

In the same way, I hope that I am also an imitation of my Heavenly Father. I want to catch myself doing things that remind me of him. I want to love people the way he loves them. I want to see people the way he sees them and then be able to recognize their needs and serve them in the way that he would. I want to go about my normal day and then catch myself saying, "I am being just like my Father right now!" I even want other people to recognize it in me - that I look, talk, act, and think like my Father does. 

There is absolutely no higher honor.

"Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children, and live a life of love just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." Ephesians 5:1-2 

"And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his image with ever increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." 2 Corinthians 3:18