"Do You Know Him?"

This is the cry of my heart, Father let my life bring glory and honor to you! In a world that is so full of unrest, greed, suffering and dishonor,we must stand out in the midst of it, and be known as children of the Most HIgh God.

It would appear that most people claim to know God. I would have to challenge that claim. Claiming to know Christ must have some evidence to back it up. Most would look for the evidence of the Fruit of the Spirit in ones life.

As a child I knew my Dad. I have the awesome privilege and honor to be known as Ozzie Arsenault's daughter. His very name held a tremendous amount of honor. When you mention his name, people who knew him automatically responded with; Good man. honest and humble, full of integrity. A man who loved God and pursued Him with passion. A man who always put the welfare of others above his own. A proud father. excellent carpenter. A jack of all trades, a hard worker. Ozzie was a devoted husband and father. A lover of truth. An unselfish giving man of God.

I could go on and on giving description of my mentor, my hero, my Daddy. Every word that I used to describe him bears witness to the fruit of the Spirit operating in his life. There are many more words I could have used. My purpose is to prove that the fruit that operated in Ozzie Arsenault's life is evidence that he knew Christ.

It was the love of Jesus Christ that brought such honor to my Daddy. He spent time in His Word each morning. He taught his children also to read the bible and learn the nature and character of the author. He demonstrated his love to his wife by his faithfulness and his devotion to her. He worked 2 to 3 jobs every week to provide for his family.

I still have memories of my Daddy tracing his footprint onto a cereal box, then cutting it out and lining his shoes. He did this to protect his feet from the weather. Why? Because he had holes in the bottom of his shoes. It was more important to my Daddy that our needs were met. He always put us first.

In return, I remember a cold winter's night when the snow was coming down fast and hard. I knew that may Daddy was on his way home from work. I didn't want him to come home and shovel the driveway, so I proceeded to do it for him. I remember this because I remember the pain from the frostbite on the top of my thighs.

Daddy came home and found me shoveling. I wasn't properly dressed. I had a hat and gloves on, but my pants were thin pajama bottoms. Daddy grabbed the shovel from me and sent me hurling into the house. He finished the little bit that was left to shovel and then came in to attend to me.

The top of my thighs were discolored and hard. I was rubbing them hard. It felt like they were burning, it was very painful and I was crying. Daddy told my mom to run a bath for me and warned me of the dangers of frostbite. It was times like this that taught me how to trust his voice. What I first thought was anger, in reality was the power of love in action. Daddy wasn't angry at me for shoveling the driveway. His voice was reflecting the deep concern he had for his little girl.

I learned many lessons from him. What I learned on that day, was the tremendous amount of love Daddy gave us. Every day, consistently and faithfully he demonstrated to us how powerful love is. At the time, it seemed so effortless. He did that purposely so that I would never feel like a burden. I came to understand the price Daddy paid just for me to be comfortable and safe.

I want my love to be effortless. I have learned there is only one way that can happen. It is by me knowing the voice of my God. I trust his leading because I know his character. He will never bring me harm or cause me hurt. His plans for me are good. He is a good Daddy.

It is the voice of my "Heavenly Father" that poured from my earthly Daddy. His voice is still leading and guiding me today. The voice of truth, the voice of love, the voice that draws me closer. The voice that causes me to climb up on His lap. The voice that calms me when storms come. That small, sweet, strong, steady voice I have come to know and love, still brings me to safety. I love my Daddy's voice!

In The Master's Service,

Pastor Marie Richard

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