The Lord gave me love for my dad

This was a very touching testimony by brother Jeremy. Reflecting on it, I learned a very meaningful lesson that to love someone is to go into that person’s world and spend time with him, sharing what is important to him.

The Lord gave me love for my dad

FGB Jaya One/Jeremy Lam/28/9/12

FGB Ministry has been a real blessing to my life, where I have met many friends and formed many wonderful relationships. The FGB platform is such that we share from our experiences. Today, I would like to focus on Exodus 20:12 which is quite suitable since the year is 2012. It says “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.” I would like to share my testimony about my relationship with my dad.

My dad came down to Malaysia by himself from China, seeking greener pastures, arriving before the Japanese occupation. Somehow, he ended up living in Klang. There is a big age gap between me and my dad, who became a father at age 42. Since I am 55 today, a quick calculation will tell you he is 97 now.

My dad was a simple man, having no commitments and owning only a single storey terrace house in Klang. His last drawn salary was RM1,000 at the age of 87. He worked for a hardware dealer, knowing the prices of the hardware at his fingertips. Every morning, he would wake up at 5am and drink his mug of Horlicks without fail and have 2 slices of bread. Then he would cycle 2.5km to his place of work. He had no major illnesses, just one operation on the prostate, but had a bit of high blood pressure and cholesterol. My dad didn’t have snacks and was very disciplined. After stopping work, my dad would still walk to another housing estate, to have breakfast, buy the papers, and perhaps catch up with some friends. Sometimes, he would walk to his old office to chat with his old colleagues.

One day while I was in Shanghai on business, I received a call from my sister, saying that my dad was missing. There was nothing I could do but just pray. They looked for him in his old office but could not find him. Fortunately, a neighbor’s friend who recognized him brought him home in a van. He had lost his sense of direction and we could not let him go out to walk by himself anymore.

Since I knew he likes to walk, I decided to drive up his house and walk with him. His started 3 years ago, and in the morning, my dad would usually be excited to go walking with me. My dad’s favorite food is fruits. So I often bought cherries, bananas or grapes for him. We would walk about 700m to the shop and quite often we would finish the fruits on the way. I would have 2 bananas, giving him one and taking the other. My father still loved his Horlicks, so I would mix in an egg and some oats, making it a very nutritious drink. Since he could not finish it, he would pour half for me, and we would share the drink. Likewise, of the two pieces of bread he had, he would give me one, and take the other. My dad had some problems swallowing, so I mixed his pills in his food for him. One day, to my amusement, he wanted to share his pills with me, since we were sharing so many things. 

It was only an hour I spent with him from 8-9am, but along the way, I did make some friends. Sometimes, as we walked, people would drive by in the car, stop, and say good, giving the thumbs up. Some standing by would chat with us.

Sadly, dad fell down sometime later in the house, and could not walk any longer. We had to send him to the nursing home, and I still went to visit him. There were some others that who still had sharp faculty of thought. My father had grown senile, and I missed talking to him. The Lord had given me love for my dad. I just want to encourage you to appreciate your parents, as this pleases the Lord.