Lessons from My Father

This Father’s Day article shares lessons from my father—a godly man whose quiet strength and enduring wisdom continue to guide the next generation. Through personal stories and biblical truth, it reflects on three life lessons that still speak today.

 

On the morning of September 21, 2022, my father, Richard Farrell, passed away peacefully in his sleep. After 76 years, he stepped into eternity and met our Heavenly Father. Though he’s no longer with us, I still hear echoes of his voice—his guidance, his humor, his unmistakable brand of fatherly wisdom.

Nearly three years have passed since that morning, but memories surface often—unexpectedly. Sometimes it’s the sight of a motor home cruising down the interstate, a peaceful car ride with one of my sons, or a challenging trivia question.

Other times, it’s a life lesson he taught me years ago. Something I now find myself passing on to my boys. His values have been woven into how I live, how I love, and how I walk with God.

One of my fondest memories is when all six of us would play Trivial Pursuit. We’d all crowd around the table, laughing, competing, and—let’s be honest—battling for second place. It was my dad’s favorite game, and we all knew why. He was the king of trivia and a fount of knowledge. He rattled off obscure answers with ease, prompting playful accusations of cheating and that he secretly read the cards in his spare time. Deep down, I was in awe of him.

And I still am.

His wisdom endures. This Father’s Day, I want to honor his legacy by sharing three lessons he passed down to me—intentional or not. They’re lessons grounded in Scripture that still shape the man I strive to be.

Lesson 1: Live Your Faith Quietly and Boldly

My dad was a man of quiet strength and deep conviction. He didn’t flaunt his faith. He lived it.

Active in our church and unwavering in his commitment to God, he never had to tell us to follow Christ—we saw it in how he treated others, how he served, and how he responded to life’s ups and downs. He modeled a faith that wasn’t performative but real.

“So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead” (James 2:17 ESV).

In this verse, James reminds us that authentic faith is lived out—not just spoken. It isn’t saying that faith is not important, but rather that faith alone, without good works and obedience to God, is not a living faith. He’s urging believers to live out their faith through actions, demonstrating that their faith is not just a belief but a reality that permeates every aspect of their lives.

And my father did just that.

Lesson 2: Love Means Showing Up

Throughout my childhood, I was involved in baseball, theatre, Boy Scouts, soccer, and many other extracurricular activities. My dad (and my mom) were always in the stands or audience supporting and cheering for me. He was at every game, every performance, and available whenever I needed someone to listen. He wasn’t just present; he was all in. He didn’t always know what to say or have the perfect words, but that didn’t matter. He made sure I knew I was loved by simply being there.

I’ll never forget a Little League baseball game when I got hit in the back by a fastball. I went down hard. With tears forming in the corners of my eyes, I eventually made it to first base. When I looked toward the bleachers, my dad was there clapping, cheering, and ensuring I knew I was okay. On the way home, he patted my leg and said he was proud. Not because I got on base (that was the only time I got on base that game), but because I didn’t give up. I got back up and kept going.

“Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” (1 Corinthians 13:7 ESV).

He taught me that love isn’t always dramatic or eloquent. Sometimes it’s just showing up. That’s what he did, right up until a couple months before he entered hospice. He made it a point to try to attend every play my sons or I were in and every awards ceremony, birthday party, golf match, or soccer game either of my boys had. His love for me and my family never faded. It was even there in the quiet, in-between moments that didn’t make it onto the highlight reels.

His steady presence in my life gave me a glimpse of God’s own faithfulness—a love that never leaves, even when the road is bumpy.

Lesson 3: Hard Work Honors God

My father’s work ethic left a lasting impression on me, and I’d like to think I’ve inherited some of that from him. As an accountant, he occasionally brought work home. He would set up a card table in the den where he would crunch numbers while his printing calculator’s long trail of paper cascaded to the floor and I played at his feet with my Star Wars action figures.

But it wasn’t just his career. His dedication showed up in his hobbies, too, especially community theater. Building sets, painting backdrops, and doing whatever needed to be done. Whether he was holding a power drill or a calculator, he approached every task with excellence.

“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men” (Colossians 3:23 ESV).

He didn’t work for applause. He worked with his whole heart, and he believed every job—no matter how big or small—deserved his best. He taught me that all work—when done with love and integrity—becomes an act of worship. Even now, when I’m tired or tempted to cut corners, I remember him—and I dig a little deeper, honoring both him and the God he served through honest labor.

His Voice Still Guides Me

When I visit my mom in the house where we were raised, reminders of his absence are everywhere. His favorite armchair in the den sits empty. His loud, booming voice no longer fills the room. Many of his favorite keepsakes were boxed up or passed down to his children and grandchildren.

But his wisdom? His influence? They’re still there. It’s still loud and clear, lingering in the memories of my youth.

It still speaks.

It speaks when I choose integrity over convenience. When I show up for my family, even when I’m tired. When I work hard and put all my effort into the task at hand. When I live my faith instead of just talking about it.

I hear him in moments of moral decisions. In how I parent. In how I work. In how I walk with God. But most of all, his life continues to point me to our Savior—the one who gave me the gift of an earthly father whose faith, love, and strength left an indelible mark on my heart and helped shape the person I am today.

“Hear, my children, the instruction of a father,
And give attention to know understanding;
For I give you good doctrine;
Do not forsake my law” (Proverbs 4:1-2 NKJV).

This Father’s Day, I honor my dad by choosing to live the truths he lived. I pray that his wisdom continues to echo through my actions, my faith, my love for others, and, most of all, how I worship my Savior … my eternal Father.

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