Kingdom Harbor

Words fail me for once to express how blessed I am to have Curt Berg as my dad. He’s so steady. So consistent. So trustworthy and loving. In a world where foundations often seem shaky and where people are so often two-faced and fickle, my dad is pure gold all the way through. So friendly. So helpful. So handy and resourceful. So strong and yet tender. So faithful.

As a pastor, I am often helping people heal from deep “father wounds.” My dad set a wonderful example for me and my siblings with his faith, work ethic, neighborliness, and commitment to his marriage and family. I’m just stating the obvious for everyone who knows my dad (who are nodding their heads in agreement right now).

The photo above of my dad with my son Isaak is from last week when I was on a pastor’s retreat that fell on Isaak’s birthday (for which I felt terrible). I was sitting around a fire with other dads talking about, you guessed it, “father wounds” and how to come to grips with the good news that our Heavenly Father isn’t like so many demanding, grace-less earthly fathers. As the song goes, God really is “a good, good Father.”

So is my earthly father.

Isaak was in good hands on his birthday, as Grandpa stepped in for me and took Isaak out for a Mexican birthday lunch. (For the record, we ended up leaving the retreat a night early to drive home in the wee hours so I could give Isaak a surprise birthday hug at 2AM.)

I texted my Dad from the retreat, telling him I appreciate him. He wrote back, “You are a great dad and son, and I am very proud of you. I am a very blessed man that all of my children and grandchildren know Jesus. That’s what has always given me peace of mind and keeps me from worrying.”

My Dad is a gem and today he’s a slightly older, creakier gem who just turned the big 70!!. Join me in celebrating an awesome man!

Happy Birthday, Dad.