He Led Me in the Way of the Master

Lessons from my Dad, a man full of the Spirit of Jesus

Me and my Dad circa 1977

On this Father’s Day 2021, I want to take the opportunity to honor my Dad, Ricardo James Anderson. 

His friends call him Rick. My six children call him Grandpa. I call him Dad.

How do we fully recount the influence of those men in our lives we call Dad? 

I am painfully aware of the fact that many in our world have fathers who abandoned them, were absentee, too harsh, or were never around.

An undeserved grace was given to me and my siblings in that we had a Dad who was a model father. I do not take for granted that I owe a tremendous debt of gratitude and love to my Dad for the man I am today.

I see my Dad in my own words, attitudes, behaviors, and instincts. My Dad shines through in the behavior of my own children, especially my boys.

Lessons I learned from my Dad

Fathers, don’t frustrate your children with no-win scenarios. Take them by the hand and lead them in the way of the Master. (Ephesians 6:4, MSG)

In lieu of a narrative that would be difficult to fully capture, I compiled a random list of lessons I learned from my Dad.

My Dad taught me:

To love God above all else because Jesus gave His life for me.

To be a diligent student of the Bible.

To find joy in teaching God’s Word to other people, especially young people.

That men can love music and art.

To learn to play all kinds of instruments. I play bass, guitar, and sing today because of my Dad.

To vocally harmonize by ear.

To perform music even when you might be nervous or insecure about your gift.

To appreciate a good blues bend on the electric guitar.

To confess your faults, repent, and move on.

That there is no such thing as a tool that should not be owned.

That the day he gave his life to Jesus turned his world upside down and sent him on a radically new trajectory.

That a strong marriage is the result of a husband and wife seeking God together.

That his vocation of installing fireplaces is an amazing way to do ministry.

To welcome people back into your life with grace even though they abandoned you 45 years prior.

To treat firearms with respect by being trained appropriately.

That knowledge and degrees do not make one godly but could be a great temptation to pride.

To encourage your kids to believe they are smart, capable, and talented.

To dote on grandkids whenever you have the chance.

To pick up the tab when you go out to eat with friends.

To take pride in the military service of veterans of your country.

That it is ok to not like vegetables.

That it is perfectly acceptable to smoke a cigar and drink a wine cooler when you attend fundamentalist churches that discourage the same. 

To love Red Lobster inordinately. My first job was at Red Lobster.

That it’s ok and human to laugh at mildly inappropriate jokes in a movie unless you don’t like the movie. Then you should grumble at each swear word and lecture your children for their poor taste in movies.

To enjoy putting on a suit and tie.

To polish dress shoes often and to own the right gear to do the same.

To tie a necktie and match it with a pocket scarf.

That the home is meant to be full of friends and laughter.

To be a Dad to your kids’ friends who may not know that kind of love.

To look for opportunities to encourage people and lift them up.

To leave everything better than I found it. This includes construction job sites and toilet seats. Years ago a friend marveled at my four-year old son who had been taught to wipe the seat.

To offer a friendly reply to a girl when she says “hello” to you in public even if you are a shy, young boy.

To whom much is given, much is required. (Luke 12:48, NIV)

That God will entrust you with more only when I am faithful in little. (Luke 16:10)

To give is better than to receive.

That Christmas morning is a massively special ordeal. Dads should slowly release presents and moderately exasperate children.

To be involved in a Church community even when they are full of flawed people.

To guard your heart as a man against sexual temptation.

To treat your wife as a special lady by surprising her with gifts she loves and words of appreciation.

To work hard to provide for your family even if it is hard on your body.

To not waste my time worried about what people will say or think about the way I dress, home I live in, or cars I purchase.

To hoard miscellaneous construction and car parts in the garage so that your children will have to deal with them in the future.

To give people second chances.

That to be a leader comes with an expectation of character, discipline, and responsibility.

That every human being is a potential friend, literally anyone. 

To encourage young people to save themselves for marriage.

To care about people’s families and their spiritual well-being.

That God uses the weak things of the world to shame the strong; that some of the very best and faithful Christian servants and evangelists probably never went to Bible college or seminary.

To be excited about the prospect of sharing the Good News of Jesus with people.

To tip really generously and enjoy doing it.

That sometimes you have to get just a “taste” of something in between meals (ie a cheeseburger or Arby’s roast beef). These “tastes” are better when shared with grandchildren.

To reminisce with a lot of sentimentality; I mean a LOT of sentimentality.

To leave voice messages that are sentimental and sappy so that people know you love them.

To apprentice and mentor young employees to the point of buying them tools and turning them into competitors.

That there is never enough food at a party or next meal. You should always pick up a bucket of chicken to add to someone else’s menu even if they don’t ask.

That you can learn to fix or build just about anything. Gail reminds him of this gift every time he visits our home.

To let everyone else go first in the food line.

That you never stop being a Dad to your kids even at 75 years old.

If you ever catch me doing any of the above, you now know the source.

Dad-you are the best. I cannot thank the Father above enough for who you are and all you have given me. Your faithfulness as a man, Dad, husband, grandfather, and Christian will shape generations you and I will get to appreciate when Jesus welcomes us into His Father’s Kingdom.

I love you. Happy Father’s Day.