A Legacy Remembered

This is going to be a difficult blog to write because I wish I knew more about the subject. I want to say something about my father in honor of Father's Day, but unfortunately, I know more of the legacy rather than the man. I think that in many ways knowing a legacy instead of the actual person is a good thing, but in my father's case, the man far surpassed his legacy. The problem with a person's legacy is that those who didn't know the person can't truly appreciate how the legacy was formed. I might be a little partial, but my father's legacy is nothing compared to actually knowing the person.

Today, when people talk about Joseph Carl Davis, the phrase "good man" is rarely left out of the description. This is an understatement; my father was a great man. Even calling Carl Davis a great man is leaving out the fact that he was a great husband, a great father, and a great servant of Christ. I can try to explain all of this to you, but you are not going to understand unless you had actually met my father so I will attempt to give you a glimpse of his legacy.

My father's upbringing is not the reason that people speak so highly of him. If anything, his upbringing could have been an excuse for him to have been a complete failure. He came from a broken family, and his parents probably didn't give him the same morals, discipline, or attention that you or I had growing up. Not having a perfect upbringing left him to pick up a few vices here and there. The best thing that happened to my father during his youth was his decision to move to Texas to live and work for his uncle.

My mother would soon be his inspiration to drop any vices still lingering when they met. When given the ultimatum, he chose wisely. This first act of chivalry would be one of my father's first steps in becoming a great husband. During the 11 years that I had the honor of knowing my dad, I never witnessed any sign of disrespect, argument, or quarrel between my father and mother. This is not an exaggeration either; the myth that every relationship has its ups and downs was shattered by the interactions of my parents.

I previously stated in a post about my mother that she never missed anything I was involved in; likewise, my father was always sitting right beside her. He made sure that his work day would end in time for him to be at whatever event my brother or I was involved; even if that meant leaving at dark and working until dark the next day. One of my father's favorite things to do was watch a movie at night with our family. Depending on the time of year, he would always make a bowl of ice-cream or popcorn and fall asleep during the movie (I, unfortunately, inherited his ability to miss the ending of movies started past 8:00 pm).

My father was also a great Christian. One of my favorite memories is when he took me one Sunday afternoon to meet with the pastor and sit by me as I accepted Christ into my life. He was in church every time the doors were open, and he was a fantastic spiritual leader for our family. If there is ever a reason for you or anyone else to think that you can make things right with God later in life, let my father's story be a testimony of why you shouldn't delay. Nothing on this earth is a guarantee, especially tomorrow.

I recently had a conversation with a girl who also lost her father early in life, and we both agreed that we enjoy talking about them with others. It's a way that lets us remember them. I love to tell people about his amazing legacy, and I am proud to be an offspring of that legacy. I always say that if I manage to be 10% of the man my father was, I will be considered a good man.