A Tribute to My Father, Daniel Wilbur Bogs

This tribute is written for the twentieth anniversary of the passing of my father from the valley of the shadow of death to his birth into his joyous home in heaven, July 27, 2000.

Most of you that know me know that I am neither sentimental nor nostalgic nor am I much of an emotional sort of person, yet at the twentieth anniversary of my father’s passing I wanted to take the time to reminisce and perhaps wax poetic, as I thought of the memories of my sainted father.

DISCLAIMER: Please understand that as is the case of many a loved one that has passed away they are often esteemed to be perfect after their passing as they are pointed to with overly holy expectations of the survivors, i.e., “Well, dad would have wanted it this way or that way,” usually spoken as a way of manipulating others, yet not always nor necessarily what the deceased may have wanted, just our placing our overly holy expectations on them as if it were what they truly desired. I have no qualms understanding that my sainted father was a sinful human being who had his flaws like everyone else. And as I believe he is in heaven which is a place of eternal joy, so I believe that he has no knowledge of nor can he see what is going on in this world. If he could see what was happening in this world, if he had any knowledge of the pain and suffering going on in this world he would not be in heaven. Indeed, I believe that at this point he has no care nor concern for this world.

Those of you that know my father (and I will often use the present tense as my father is alive and well in his heavenly home) know that he is a man who never knew a stranger. My dad would pick up a conversation with anyone, anytime, anywhere. At times this trait has been embarrassing as I would come upon my father having a conversation with someone and hear him “bragging” about his children, as if this perfect stranger wanted to hear about his family. Indeed, he always has said good things about his children and grandchildren. As a child my oldest son had his pawpaw’s trait as he would talk to anyone, perfect strangers, even inviting them to our house. My daughter has had this trait, but unfortunately because of her deep care for others this trait has often brought her emotional hurt and pain. I have tried to emulate my father’s example in picking up and carrying on conversations with others as well, unfortunately my ability and perhaps my personality, as well as my guarded personality as a clergyman, does not always translate into my father’s ability. Wherever my travels and calls as a church worker carried me my parents would often visit and inevitably my father would bend the ear of those who would listen. It simply came naturally to him.
 

Because of his work as an insurance salesman and having a selling territory from Houston to Waller; because of his growing up in the Hufsmith, Tomball area; because of his father’s sawmill business; because of his involvement in his church; my father knows many people and many people know my father. He can easily rattle off a person’s name and kinfolks. If you have taken the time to read this you probably know my dad and can share any number of stories about him, perhaps remembering those who would call him Daniel Boone.
 

As a child, before the world of today with all the video games and technological distractions, the only thing a young boy could do for entertainment was to get under dads feet. Thus, I grew up watching dad fix the cars, change the oil, replace some brake pads, master cylinder, fix the lawn mower, plant and tend a garden, raise pigs, cows and at times chickens, build a house, lay concrete, put up studs, put up rafters, put up drywall as well as tape and float the drywall, put up decking and shingles, do plumbing and electrical work and the like. Growing up in the country usually meant learning to do things yourself and that is what we did, that is how I learned much from my father and am able to do many things myself.
 

My father entered glory on my older brother’s birthday in 2000. At that time my wife and I only had the one child who was five at the time. As I think back on these past twenty years the one thing that I struggle with the most (and please understand this is not something that I regret, or something about which I am jealous, nor lament, nor am I disappointed as those words do not express what I want to say) is that three of my children never met their pawpaw. Even my oldest, having only been five, does not remember that much about him. Dad would call him his “little man” as he was the first and at that time the only grandson. Since then we have given my dad two more grandsons and a granddaughter along with the four other granddaughters he already has. The only way my children know their pawpaw is from the stories that I (as well as my brother, sister and cousins) relate to them as well as the “dad jokes” that he speaks through me. And as I struggle with this missing part, please understand I would never desire that my father would have to come back to this earth, this valley of the shadow of death. Indeed, the second most selfish thing one can do is to wish their loved one out of heaven for their own sake. My father is in heaven enjoying perfect peace and happiness and I would never desire that to be taken from him, especially not for some selfish reason of my own. (If you are wondering, the most selfish thing a person can do, in my opinion, is to take their own life which is not theirs to take and is taking themselves from their loved ones.)
 

So, as we celebrate my father’s twentieth birthday in heaven I give thanks for the years that he was present in my life and the things he taught me, sometimes with a ruler on the bottom. No, he was not a perfect man, husband or father, but he was a man of God who lived his faith and sought to instill that faith into his children. Yes, there are times that I wonder, “What would dad do?” When working on my car or one of the vehicles of my children, I remember the days of watching dad work on the car, holding the flashlight, getting a wrench, pumping the brake and so on. When we added a room to our house, when we dug a new drain line, I would wonder, “Wouldn’t it be nice to have dad here to help and give advice.” When I make trips to the Texas Confessional Lutheran’s conference in Brenham and there see one of his old friends, Don Kaiser, I think, “Dad would love to go along.” When I work to dig a plot and plant some seeds and wonder, “Why doesn’t my garden grow like dads,” I miss the advice he could give.
 

Twenty years ago my father passed from this world. Twenty years may seem like a long time, but in the long run, in the perspective of the whole picture, of eternity, it is just a blip on the screen. My wife will confirm that when I face struggles in this world I have a tendency to put this world into the eternal perspective that is that this world is nothing compared to eternity. Perhaps what drives me, and my children once asked, what is my greatest fear? I said, “That you, and anyone I love, might not be in heaven.” I am reminded that heaven is a place of perfect peace and happiness and since that is the case, we may not remember much of what is or has been happening in this world, after all, this is a sin-filled world of the valley of the shadow of death. As was my father’s concern for my spiritual well being so should all of us be concerned for the spiritual well being of those we love. After all, why bother having a relationship in this world with someone who may not be in heaven. Certainly God will wipe away every tear, yet to go through this world thinking there may be someone we care about who will live forever in hell is pain enough. Our greatest need is forgiveness of sins and we have that freely given to us. Our greatest desire then, is to make sure our loved one’s understand the temporariness of this world and have their lives and faith where it should be so that we may all rejoice when our last hour arrives and we enter God’s kingdom where we will see our loved one’s again and forever. I have always said, the reason older people desire to pass on from this world is the fact that most of their friends are no longer in this world but are in heaven. As we age, time seems to go by much faster reminding us of the shortness of our time in this world and our need to always be ready.
 

Personally, I do look forward to seeing my father again. At this time the closest I can get is when I am at the Lord’s Table partaking of His body and blood because there at that table are all the saints including those whom I love who have passed on before me. No, I cannot see them and they cannot see me, but they are their as Jesus is there. Thus, I desire to be in the Lord’s house and at His Table as often as I can.
 

So, although this tribute may have simply been an exercise in some rambling thoughts, it is a joy to know that my father is alive and well, that he is at peace and knows only complete joy and happiness and that someday soon, sooner than I know and sooner than I might imagine, I will see him again. I do so look forward to that day and I say as John says in his Revelation, “Come Lord Jesus.”