Home School Heartbeat Radio Program

Darren Jones:
I think the main heritage Dad passed on to me was the importance of living life dedicated to serving God and serving others.

I remember I often saw Dad and Mom kneeling by the couch early in the morning, praying for each other and praying for us kids. Dad worked for our church full-time when I was growing up, and there wasn’t much extra money during those years, but the lesson of service he taught me was worth every penny that we didn’t have.

During my high school years, our family lived upstairs from an elderly couple, the Hollands. After Mr. Holland had a stroke, Dad went downstairs about five times a day, to get him up out of bed, take him for short walks, help him go to the bathroom, give him baths, and put him back into bed. And he did this every day for eight years, until shortly before Mr. Holland passed away.

Two Christmases ago, Dad gave me one of my very favorite gifts ever. He spent several years filling a book with stories from his childhood and lessons he’d learned through his life. I have that book on a shelf beside my bed, right beside a similar book my mom has made. And I pull it out every few months just to read and remind myself how blessed I am to have such a terrific father.