THE MEASURE OF A MAN

I am going to meander away from my previous blog thoughts for a while.
Lately I've been pondering thoughts of, "What is the Measure of A Man?" My father was the first man in my life and from him I measured my impressions of what a man should be. As the first of four children and being the only girl I believed I was special to my Dad. He was a good father and provider. He was an honorable and brave soldier during WWII. As it has been recounted to me, he adored me as a baby and would walk with me in his arms around the house and sing, "I'm Going to Buy a Paper Doll". Although this early relationship with my Dad cannot be consciously recalled I know that those moments are ingrained in my soul. So, through his voice and touch I began to know my Daddy. When he went away to fight in the war I was almost three years old. I must of wondered where he went.
By the time I was 2 1/2 I had a new brother competing for attention. Then three years later another brother arrived on the scene and then eight years after that another brother was born. By this time I was a teenager and loved being able to take care and help my mother with a newborn. Dad stayed busy earning a living and providing for his family. He was faithful to take us to church on Sunday morning where I received a knowledge that there was a God whose Son was Jesus. These were my first impressions of what a man was supposed to be.
What was it that caused me to relate to this man called 'my father'? The estimation of his love for me determined his worth in my eyes. Many conclude that the measure of a man's worth is found in his achievements in the business world, or perhaps it is the wealth he has gained and the power he has over others and then again many judge him by his outward beauty, his physique or personality. But for me, my Dad was security and protection. He provided a safe haven for me to grow up and he introduced me to church and the concept that there was a God.