A Tribute to My Hero

We live in a time when hero worship is at an all-time high.  Sadly, heroes are defined and elevated based on the size of their wallets or the fame of their name (usually both).  My hero doesn't have much money.  My hero doesn't have a big name, but I have never known someone else who has loved the Lord so much.  My dad is my hero.  

About seventeen years ago, my father sold his soon-to-be succesful business to be the administrator/principal/teacher of many subjects in a small Christian school.  A family of six is not the easiest to provide for, but he labored diligently getting paid very little for huge amounts of work.  He got a part time job working as a desk clerk in a motel at night and teaching all day (grades 4-12).  Sadly, I took my father for granted at times.  I even became bitter, and I distanced myself from him. Through all this, he still loved me with an unconditional love.  Soon after I graduated from high school, my father moved to a tiny little town in Wyoming, took the pastorate at a small struggling church, and worked at a construction company pouring concrete.  He spent his time working, pastoring, and taking care of his ailing parents.  Ten years has passed and my dad has buried his father, his mother, his father-in-law, and his mother-in-law who all lived in that same little town.  He still preaches God's Word faithfully each Sunday.  He still pours concrete, and still doesn't have a big wallet or name.  He has four children all married to godly mates who are all serving the Lord in local churches around the world. 

Despite all of his accomplishements, he is not my hero for these reasons.  He is my hero because his goal in life has been to glorify the name of Jesus.  He doesn't desire praise; he doesn't desire reward or recognition.  He merely wants Jesus Christ magnified.  If you were to interview my father concerning his accomplishments, I know what his one sentence answer would be (it is what he has communicated to me many times)  "By the grace of God, I am what I am."  I am sure that when the day of judgment comes, and Jerry Johnson is called to give account for how he has served the Lord, many will have no idea who he is.  But I am also confident that the reward and the smile that will greet my father will surpass his and my wildest expectations. 
Thank you dad.  Thank you for elevating the grace of God.  Thank you for setting an example for me and for my sisters.  Thank you for faithfully giving your life to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Thank you for doing your reasonable service.  Happy Birthday to my hero, my dad.