My Father in Heaven
I come before you to give honor
In memory of the earthly father you gave me
Thank you for his righteousness
Thank you for his father's heart
Thank you for the love he gave me
Thank you for his warmth and sincerity
I honor him for his patience
I honor him for his wisdom
I honor him for his forbearance with me
I am grateful to be his offspring
I am grateful he is with you
I honor his efforts to bless me
I honor his efforts to teach me
I honor him for fathering me
I honor him for feeding me
I honor him for protecting me
He taught me so much
He asked for so little
I pray his reward is great
I praise you for the moments we had
I care not for the ways he fell short
Do they even exist?
Surely not in the grand scope of life
I honor the day of his birth
I honor the day of his 'death'
But I praise you that he is alive
More alive than I ever knew him
No bad back, no trick knee, no broken heart
I honor the days of his childhood
I honor the days of his youth
I honor the days of his manhood
You treasured the day of his 'death'
I honor the father you gave me
I bless his memory
- Stephen Pursell, in memory of FD Pursell, 6/04