Father-in-Law

I was reading a blog the other day where the writer was listing the do's and don't that make a good blogger. One of the things she had listed as never to write about was one's mother-in-law. Well I have already broken that rule by this posting so I might as well break another one and write about my father-in-law.

Marlin H. Lehman turns a young 79 years old today. Anyone who has ever known Dad learns quickly that he enjoys a good joke and that he loves to tell stories. There were times when I wasn't quite sure if he was telling a true story or just pulling my leg so I would wait until the end to see if there was a punch line before I would commit to believing him. Though some people might find this annoying or confusing, I actually rather enjoyed it. It was always such fun to see how happy Dad got from telling his own jokes and stories that I laughed just watching his delight.

There are many things I appreciate about my father-in-law but probably what I love the most is his handyman skills. Whenever anything broke around the house, (washer, dryer, plumbing, railing, car, etc.) we called Dad to come and fix it or at least help Steve fix it. It was such a blessing to have this man who would come almost immediately and who never charged for his time.

Dad was a jack-of-all trades. It seemed there wasn't much that he couldn't do. He was a carpenter, electrician, plumber, heating and air-conditioning man to name a few. When we built the addition on to our house in 1997, Steve and he designed and built it together. They sat at the kitchen table and drew up the blueprint and then they went to work. As the addition took shape, they got the brainstorm that it would be nice to add a small room to the upstairs with a dormer window. Dad said "no problem" and they just modified as they went and soon the room and dormer were visible. I remember being amazed that they could just change their minds in the middle of building and still have everything come out all right. But that fits Dad to a tee. He just goes with the flow and doesn't let things upset him.

Dad had many jobs during his lifetime and most of them centered on some type of mechanical skills. He retired from Horst Group at the age of 62 where he had been an HVAC serviceman for their apartment complexes. After he retired he and mom spent many winters volunteering for Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS). They were well-liked and MDS soon asked Dad to coordinate some of the projects. Dad agreed and handled it well. I think all of his grandchildren (except for the four youngest) got a chance, if they wanted to, to spend time with Grandpa and Grandma on an MDS project. What a great opportunity for grandparents and grandchildren to work side by side!

Dad was a wonderful grandpa to our children. He was always happy to spend time with them and he made them feel important. When our children were small they loved to visit with Grandpa and Grandma. I remember one Sunday morning when Dad and Mom came to our church for Josh's baby dedication. Shawn would have been six and Jay four. When they saw Grandpa come in the door, they both rushed over to him and each grabbed and hugged one of his legs. Another man at church who didn't yet have grandchildren, said to me, "Wow, I hope I have grandkids who love me like that some day!"

The years are starting to take a toll on dad and he walks slowly now and with a slight limp. However, he still always has a twinkle in his eye and he never gets tired of playing a joke on someone or telling one of his stories. He is always willing to lend a hand where needed and we still appreciate his help on fixing and building things. Just this past fall, Steve and he worked on putting stairs down from our back porch. Jay is also glad for Dad's help with small projects around his farm and has called him on more than one occasion to give him a helping hand.

I'm just really thankful that this man is my father-in-law and that he set a godly example for his children and that he taught them responsibility and how to work hard and that above all, after God, family is the most important of all.

Happy birthday Dad!