Whenever I have pancakes for breakfast, I think of my dad. When I was a teenager, we were all eating a pancake breakfast together-dad, mom, my brother
Jack, and my little sister Betty. The pancakes reminded dad of an experience he had when he was just a young boy of nine years old. He began to tell us the story.
When he was only three years old his dad died of pneumonia at a young age of 33 years old leaving behind his young wife and three little boys with my dad being the oldest. During the depression era, there wasn't
any widow benefits or social security. His mom had to go to work to support her young family. As a result she had to turn to family to help take care of her three little boys. My dad and his brother Len went to live with their mom's side of the family. Bill,
the youngest, was raised by the other side of the family. Little Bill never spent very much time with his brothers. It wasn't until he was a young man, that the three brothers reconnected again.
At the age of nine years old, my dad would chop wood or do other manual labor for a meal. One day he climbed in a open railroad car in the hopes he could travel
to the next town where there might be more work. He was locked in the railroad car for three days without any water or food. When the railroad car door finally opened, out came a very hungry, scared little boy. A kind man took pity on this scrawny little boy
standing in front of the local restaurant looking very hungry. The man brought him a big plate of pancakes to eat. He devoured the pancakes very quickly. My dad said he felt ill after eating so much.
My dad only had a fourth or fifth grade education because he went to work to earn money. My dad because of the struggles he had growing up, always made sure that
his family had a enough to eat. He would get upset if food was wasted.
My siblings and I were raised
in a home where we didn't have a lot of material things but we always had food to eat, a warm bed to sleep in, and the love of a mom and dad. Dad supported his family as a hard working underground copper miner in Butte, Montana.
It is so true that our struggles while growing up, shape us and mold us into who we are as adults. My dad was raised in very difficult circumstances.
However by the grace of God, he choose to rise above the difficulties and emerged a generous and kind husband, father, and grandfather.
We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed-2 Corinthians 4: 8-9.