{"id":2017,"date":"2012-12-28T11:49:30","date_gmt":"2012-12-28T16:49:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.covchurch.org\/ekstrand\/?p=2017"},"modified":"2012-12-28T12:19:18","modified_gmt":"2012-12-28T17:19:18","slug":"dad-lived-out-gal-222-23","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blogs.covchurch.org\/ekstrand\/2012\/12\/dad-lived-out-gal-222-23\/","title":{"rendered":"Dad lived out Gal 2:22-23"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>

Dad (Web Ekstrand)<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

My brother Don posted the following reflections about Dad on facebook. \u00a0I decided to copy them here to share them with more people. They are a wonderful description of who he was. \u00a0Thanks Don.<\/p>\n

An example to follow:
\nOn Monday, Dec. 24, we celebrated the life of my Dad, Wilbur Ekstrand. He passed away on the 19th at 82 years old after a very full and fulfilling life. Reflecting on his life, this verse comes to mind. \u201cBut the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.\u201d Gal. 5:22-23<\/p>\n

LOVE:
\nTo Dad, love was an action as much as an emotion. He would help a stranger in need as quickly as he would help his friends. Not only would he help a stranger, but he would treat that person with great respect as he did so.<\/p>\n

JOY:
\nOne of Dad\u2019s many expressions was, \u201cWork hard, play hard.\u201d On the farm he worked VERY hard but took joy in his work. He also knew that fun was important, so we played hard — water skiing, family vacations, card games around the table, or tobogganing at Twin Lakes. Dad would really whoop it up, smiling and laughing, even at himself.
\nDad also found much joy with his children\u2019s friends, often playing cards around the kitchen table after an evening of water skiing. We knew he really enjoyed them, and they always felt comfortable in our house. He also took joy in our many endeavors, our school activities, jobs, and especially in our spouses.<\/p>\n

PEACE:
\nI have never heard my father say a bad word about anyone — in the community, at church, a relative or a family member. I cannot remember him ever having a bad relationship with anyone. He was a man of peace and kept good relationships with everyone around him.<\/p>\n

PATIENCE:
\nNot only was Dad a patient man, he extended grace to his family. When I put holes in the fence while plowing or when I badly injured a 3-day old pig giving iron shots (I pushed the needle too far into the tissue) he never was upset with me. Even when I fell asleep at the wheel and drove our family car in the ditch on way home from a day of fishing he wasn\u2019t angry. Dad was a man of grace.<\/p>\n

KINDNESS:
\nDad loved to meet new people. His interest in who they were, where they were from and their stories was genuine. He made everyone, neighbor, friend, stranger, or relative feel not only welcome but accepted and loved. One verse Dad loved to quote, especially to sons who loved to argue, was Proverbs 15:1, \u201cA soft answer turns away wrath…\u201d<\/p>\n

GOODNESS:
\nDad was a very unselfish man. He never sought position or attention for himself. He was generous, though not extravagant, to people around him. \u00a0He also taught his children responsibility. His requirements didn\u2019t focus on particular rules but on the responsibilities that come with living wisely. The times he was angry with me were because I wasn\u2019t responsible.<\/p>\n

FAITHFULNESS:
\nDad was always faithful to his wife. He was faithful in the way we usually define it, but also by always purchasing a nice and appropriate gift for Mom at Christmas and for her birthday. His faithfulness was also evident in his unchanging commitment to his faith, to the church, to his children, and to loving his neighbors.<\/p>\n

GENTLENESS:
\nDad was never demanding though he expected much of his children. He only gave me jobs that were appropriate for my abilities, but they often encouraged my growth. As we matured he allowed us to move away without demanding that we come home regularly or call at certain times.<\/p>\n

SELF-CONTROL:
\nOn the farm, Dad always had too much to do, so he did the important things and left the less important undone, such as keeping a clean machine shed. He was not bothered or overwhelmed by things that were difficult. Instead he carefully thought about how to approach a situation and make it work. His solutions were not the most expensive but workable and suited to the materials and time at hand.<\/p>\n

LOVE (again):
\nLove mattered to Dad more than a correct theology; he wasn\u2019t bothered by others who believed differently. In our community of Lutherans, Catholics, Methodists, Baptists and those who never attended church, Dad had strong friendships with them all. He was never a Pharisee who demanded others be like him in order to be accepted. He truly knew how to love his neighbor.<\/p>\n

My Dad, Wilbur Ekstrand, set a wonderful example for all of us to follow. He embodied the truths in the verse above, becoming the lamp that is set on the stand so that it \u201cgives light to all in the house.\u201d (Matt. 5:15). Dad showed the way; you could see Christ in Him. Jesus\u2019 words in John 17 ring true in his life, \u201cI in them and you in me\u2014so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thank you Dad, for setting such a great example.<\/p>\n

Report This Post<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  My brother Don posted the following reflections about Dad on facebook. \u00a0I decided to copy them here to share them with more people. They are a wonderful description of who he was. \u00a0Thanks Don. An example to follow: On Monday, Dec. 24, we celebrated the life of my Dad, Wilbur Ekstrand. He passed away […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2017","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reflection"],"yoast_head":"\nDad lived out Gal 2:22-23 - Ekstrands in Congo<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.covchurch.org\/ekstrand\/2012\/12\/dad-lived-out-gal-222-23\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Dad lived out Gal 2:22-23 - Ekstrands in Congo\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"  My brother Don posted the following reflections about Dad on facebook. \u00a0I decided to copy them here to share them with more people. 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