My father was not what you would call a tall man. On a good day, he might measure five foot five. However, when he spoke? When he entered a room? His stature was not what you noticed. He had a way of commanding authority.
As a gifted and talented musician, entrepreneur, and teacher, my father was well respected in the community and beyond. His students admired him as he strived to help them to play their respective instruments with precision and excellence.
He had a passion for all things music and was an expert at his craft. I have hundreds of fond memories watching him play in bands and nothing touched me more than when he sang one of his (and my) favorite Frank Sinatra songs – “It Had To Be You.” To call me a groupie is a huge understatement.
While these memories come to my mind in an instant, there are a few that actually mean more. I’ll share one with you today.
When I graduated college, my parents gifted me with a new car. Dumbfounded but beyond grateful, I zipped around town like I owned the joint! One day, during a “zipping trip,” I came to an intersection. As I looked to my left, a car was approaching and I thought, “They better stop or they’re going to hit me.”
And they did.
An ambulance arrived at the scene. My brand new car was totaled. And before I could ask “What happened?”, I was laying in a hospital bed. Other than a slight concussion, I was fine. I went home the next day.
Turns out, it was my fault. I ran a stop sign that I did not see because it was blocked by a huge tree. Yet, somehow, my father declared my innocence to the powers that be and within days, a stop sign, double in size, marked the spot.
While I lost a car, I gained a whole new level of respect for my father. He changed the landscape of that area and to this day, that gargantuan stop sign is still there, protecting others from a similar fate.
What my earthly father lacked in stature and brute strength, he made up for with power and authority through his words and actions. And as his daughter, if I was ever in a pickle, all I had to do was call upon his name and boom! All was well in the world.
“Oh! You’re John Lamendola’s daughter?” Now it’s worth noting, that I did not abuse this privilege but let me tell you that it came in handy!
The same thing is true for our Heavenly Father. Whenever we get ourselves into the ill-marked
intersections of our lives, as believers, we can call upon the name of Jesus and He stands ready to help us.
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1 NKJV)
We don’t have to face our battles alone. We have supernatural help from our Father in heaven Who wipes out our transgressions as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12). All we need to do is call upon His name and ask.
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9 NKJV)
Was I guilty of that traffic violation? Yes. But my Dad got it wiped away. My record was clean. (And yes, I did get a brand new car!)
That’s powerful.
P.S. If you would like to get a better understanding of power, especially the power of your words, then I want to encourage you to watch or listen to the Elevate The Day Podcast, “There’s Power In Your Words” to learn more how our words (and God’s Words) shape our lives.