Last week my (Michelle) dad had an infection that did not respond to the prescribed antibiotics and the infection went septic. He was inches away from death. His kidneys had begun to shut down and his dear friend, Dr. John Moorhouse literally saved his life. I flew out to be with he and my mom as he recovered in the hospital. When we had a minute alone, I finally broke down and just sobbed all over the place. There were no regrets, apologies or unspoken words of love that we needed to catch up on, accelerated by the gravity of the situation. We had no unfinished business between us. There was just straight up, hurt-so-good love. He is an amazing man who has loved me well and his pain is surely mine. It is his 65th birthday today and let me tell you, we are celebrating. We are celebrating that he is alive! He is the treasured patriarch of our family and we are so, so thankful for him.
His upbringing was lacking, so say the least, and he was never given the tools to be a good parent. Generational brokenness would have destroyed his life, if not for redemption. When I was a young girl, my dad encountered Jesus and allowed Him into his pain. He began a transformation that no one imagined possible and His heavenly Father gave him what his earthly father never could. If you were to hear his story, you would be dumbfounded. It just doesn't add up. He should be a mess and so should his children. But he isn't! Because of Jesus, he is healed and whole. Because of Jesus, he freely gives the purest love to us. He has no smell of smoke on him.
I wrote the song, "Smoke" for my dad's birthday 5 years ago. Give it a listen and celebrate redemption with us this day. My dad, Roark Russell Thornberry, turns 65 this day. Dad, I celebrate your life with increasing passion and a grateful heart. I love you.
OH WHEN I’M WITH YOU
I SOMETIMES FORGET
JUST WHERE YOU HAVE COME FROM
YOU WEAR NO SIGNS OF IT
BUT I STILL RECALL THE STORIES
FOR I HAVE HEARD THEM TOLD
HOW YOU WORE THE HEAVY CLOAK OF GRIEF
WHEN YOU WERE FAR FROM OLD
TRAGEDY OF TRAGEDIES
TO THINK YOU WERE BETRAYED
AND ALL THE INNOCENCE IN YOU
TANGLED UP AND FRAYED
LIKE SALT ON ANY WOUND IT WAS
TO BE THE ONE TO STAND
IN FOR YOUR FATHER ALL THOSE YEARS
AS IF YOU WERE A MAN
YEAH, THAT’S THE WAY IT HAPPENED
AND NOW YOU’D NEVER TELL
NO SMELL OF SMOKE GOT ON YOU
WHEN YOU WALTZED RIGHT OUT OF HELL
OR WAS IT YOU WERE LIFTED
BY A HAND YOU DIDN’T SEE
AND THE EYES THAT WITNESSED ALL THAT HURT
SAW YOU LOVING ME
THE BITTER PILL OF ROMANCE
WAS A TRAITOR TO THE CORE
IF YOU NEVER HAVE BEEN TRULY LOVED
BY ANYONE BEFORE
AND PAIN IT IS A CIRCLE
AND TIME WILL BRING IT ROUND
YEAH, BUT YOU DID LEARN TO WALK IN IT
WHEN IT WOULD DRAG YOU DOWN
YEAH THAT’S THE WAY IT HAPPENED
AND NOW YOU’D NEVER TELL
NO SMELL OF SMOKE GOT ON YOU
WHEN YOU WALTZED RIGHT OUT OF HELL
OR WAS IT YOU WERE LIFTED BY A HAND YOU DIDN’T SEE
AND THE EYES THAT WITNESSED ALL THAT HURT
SAW YOU LOVING ME
OH AND BROKENNESS IS FUNNY
HOW IT TENDERIZES YOU
BEFORE YOU MAKE THE SAME MISTAKES
YOU LET IT PASS ON THROUGH.
NOW I’M A BENEFACTOR
CAUSE I GOT NOTHING BUT YOUR LOVE
AND I’M GLAD I CAN’T REMEMBER
WHAT IT WAS YOU ROSE ABOVE
I SOMETIMES FORGET
I SOMETIMES FORGET
Michelle, I don't know your dad very well, but upon meeting him, I can sense what a great man, a great father he is. I am touched by him, and the kind of person he is. I am also grateful that he is recovering and will continue to inspire me and the people that he comes in contact with.
Posted by: Cindy Lavender | March 03, 2009 at 11:33 AM
michelle your father is my sons hero he wants to be the next russell thornberry, tahnks for sharing your wonderful parents with all of us... we love them and want them to hang around a long time.
denita
Posted by: denita grice | March 05, 2009 at 05:22 AM