My Dad

Damon Shupp

The Best Dad

I’ll never forget a particular call from my mom years ago when I was a student at Hardin-Simmons University. She informed me that my dad was about to be fired after taking a stand on his Christian convictions. Now my dad happens to be the most righteous man I’ve ever known, and I was angry on his behalf. I wanted him to get even and expose the people who were attacking him for the frauds that they really were.

Thirty years later, I still remember his words to me: “Son, God will take care of it better than me. It’s not my place to seek revenge.”

I had no idea how those words would shape me in the years that followed. I watched how God prospered my father above all the jealous enemies who sought to smear his reputation. Looking back, I was so blessed to live under the same roof with a modern-day Old Testament Daniel. It’s a long story, and I’ll spare you the details, but my dad was vindicated by God in ways that would bless our family for decades.

There are times when I want to get even, seek revenge, and place my hand over the throats of those who have hurt the people I love. But there’s just one thing that prevents me from doing this. I saw Jesus in my Dad when I was a young man. His Christ-like example still burns in my conscience after all these years. I would rather be like the Jesus I saw in him than stoop to the level of the people who scheme and plot for their own advantage.

It’s a beautiful way to live, really! You get to laugh more than you cry, and in each moment, consider all the ways in which you are truly blessed. I believe the blessed life is the best life. It’s what I’m going after. I hope you are too!

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