Years ago I stood at the counter of an auto parts store to pay for a part I needed for a repair 0n my car. I was visiting in Alabama with my parents when they lived in Anniston and Dad was going to help me with the repair. He had told me which parts store to go to and the part I needed so I was there to get it.
After standing at the checkout register for a moment, I realized I didn't have cash and this was long before credit cards. Does that tell you how long ago that was? All I had was an out of state check, and back then there was no way for them to immediately check to see if the check was any good.
(The picture at the left is of my father and brother, Max. Max and I share the same birthday. He is the handsome one in that picture. I am his "big brother".)
I told the parts guys my problem and he asked to look at my check. After a moment or so, he asked me, "Do you know Oscar Dykes?"
I said, "Yes, he is my father."
"Yes I will take your check," the guy said. "If Oscar Dykes is your your father then this check is good."
I was an adult when that happened, but that is moment that I realized what was in my name. My father had a good name. People trusted him, and this auto parts man knew that if I was Oscar Dykes' son then I could be trusted too. I was proud that Oscar Dykes was my dad. That made me want to be trustworthy too and keep the family name good. I was thankful also that because Oscar Dykes was my father that the man was willing to take an out of state check.
That is how people should feel about us when they find out who our Father is. If God is our Father, then as His children we should act in a manner that glorifies Him. We should do everything possible to live up to the family name as Christians.
Who we are and our "name" has consequences either good or bad. A good name is to be treasured as Solomon wrote. We should always strive to live in a manner that our actions, which become the sum total of the worth of our name, shine as a light on a hill. Our names will either be a good or bad witnesses.
What is in your name?
Wow! What a great "devotional" for today. Thank you! My mom always used to say, "Remember who you are and Whose you are!"
ReplyDeleteThat's a neat story. It had to make you proud that your dad had a great reputation. It must have made him proud also. Your family all sounds like such wonderful people.
ReplyDeleteI met a man in the restaurant one day that used to work with my Dad about 40 years ago, and when we finished a little chat, he went and told the other men around who my Dad was, then he leaned in and softly spoke to me, and said if you are half the man your Father was then you are a great man. That cheered me up because he told me that my Dads integrity was above anyone he had known. Wow, how great to hear something I already knew and was glad others new it too.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing.
tom