Biographical Sketch Of Hugh Davidson Series

And then before my dad died, Sally and I used to go see him every year or two and I’d call him on his birthday, Christmas and Father’s Day but whenever I tried to talk to him about the Lord or spiritual things he told me not to waste my time and yet he was always proud to introduce me to his friends as the reverend.

In the last few months he was alive he suffered a severe stroke and had to be hospitalized. I arranged to have one of his nieces visit every day and we’d drive down to see him at least once a month which was difficult because I was still on dialysis and had to make arrangements with the hospital in Sydney.

By then I think his mind was pretty well gone but I’d still talk to him about the Lord, read scripture and pray both with him and for him but he’d just stare at me and say nothing. When he died my father-in-law and I went down and did his funeral. He preached a message of salvation and I shared a little about our relationship which I found difficult because I never felt we had that much.

I heard someone say, “When we get to heaven, there’s going to be three surprises. One, there’s going to be people we expect to see who won’t be there. Two, there’s going to be people who are there we didn’t expect to be there. And third, when we see Jesus in all His glory we’re going to be surprised that we’re there.

I was thinking the other night how all of us are part of our parents and everyone knows this is true. We are a product of their genetic make-up because that’s what we all begin with but what we eventually become is a matter of choice. I look back and wonder why God didn’t put me in a normal family but then I think about the value of the things I went through and the fact that I am what I’ve become and not just what I started with.

I was watching TV one night and they had an interview with a young man and woman from England and their parents had been arrested for mass murder. The interviewer asked them, “How do you feel about your parents now?” And the man said, “I hate what they’ve done but I’ll always love them because of who they are. I mean; they are my parents.” And I guess I’ve come to the same conclusion.

I’m sorry if my story sounds depressing to those who come from normal backgrounds and have enjoyed good health all their lives but my life is more than where and who I’ve come from. I’ve got a God who has a purpose and reason for everything that happens and a family now who loves me in spite of my health situation. Who can ask for anything more than that?