He Makes a Way

My Tato (Macedonian for Dad) is the man. I’ve learned so much from him. He taught me how to drive when I couldn’t even touch the pedals of the car and had to sit on his lap. He taught me to do every job with dignity, whether I was cleaning toilets or was the man in charge. He taught me about planets, space and the universe, sparking my intense curiosity. He taught me to stand up, think for myself and not succumb to peer pressure. He taught me how to be resourceful; turning empty paper towel rolls into the shingles of a model Lenape longhouse. I could keep the list going, but I want to highlight that which I’ve learned about the heart of God through my Tato.

In high school I played basketball and during my junior year, we had made the state playoff tournament. I was thrilled we had made states, but there was one problem. Our junior class trip to Washington D.C. occurred at the same time as the first playoff game. I was bummed. On one hand, I had the opportunity to go to D.C. with 400 of my classmates. On the other hand, I could stay and play, helping keep our season alive. I wanted to do both, but it didn’t seem possible.

Then my Tato came up with the following idea. I would go on my class trip. On the day of my first round game, Tato would rent a car, drive from Northern New Jersey to Washington D.C., picking me up at one of the museums on our tour. We would then drive back to Jersey for my game. I’d play in my game and afterwards, we would drive back to D.C., dropping me off at the hotel. To top it off, my Tato would then take the 4 hour drive back home. Isn’t that a wild idea? That’s exactly what we did!

Looking back on this, I’m so grateful for my Tato and his sacrifice. There was easily about 15 hours of driving in that day. Add to that an early morning and a late night…I don’t know how he did it. But in it all, my Tato didn’t bat an eyelid. He was all in and I could count on him.

Looking back over my life that is a trait that I’ve seen over and over in my Tato – his dependability. I could count on him. If I needed money, needed a ride, was sick and needed care, he was always there. He would drop everything and make it happen, whatever it was. He would always make a way to be there for me.

This is just like God! God is a Father and the same way I’ve counted on my Tato, I can count on the Lord to be there for me. I can count on His goodness and trust that He really cares for me. God is not too busy for me or disinterested in my life. Rather, He is trustworthy and He will never let me down.

Thank you Tato for showing me this.

How about you? What have you learned about God from your Dad? I’m sure your Dad would love to hear it!

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