The Sacrifice of the Father
Joe was one who understood the tough decisions. A single father, Joe worked as a foreman for the drawbridge at the town's shipyard. He began his career as a janitor and quickly advanced to the position of head controller of the bridge. His job responsibilities included raising and lowering the drawbridge for ships, as well as communicating with trains who crossed the bridge when it was down. Many depended on Joe for their travel safety. There was another who depended on Joe, however, for entirely different reasons.
Bobby was Joe's six-year-old son. Bobby and Joe were inseparable until it came time for Joe to go to work. Joe recognized the dangers that his job entailed, and refused to allow Bobby near the draw bridge. Bobby was fascinated with the bridge however, and begged his father to accompany him to work. After much deliberation, Joe surrendered to his "better judgment" and agreed to take Bobby to the shipyard.
When they arrived at the bridge, Joe took Bobby by the hand. "Promise me one thing. You will not leave my side," commanded Joe. Bobby quickly agreed, and they made their way to the control room.
Bobby was fascinated as he watched the bridge go up and down so the ships could pass. He loved the sound the trains made as they crossed the tracks above the control room. Joe treasured every moment as he watched the enjoyment in his son's eyes.
As Joe became increasingly busy that morning, so did Bobby. While Joe worked the bridge and communicated with ships and trains, Bobby explored his surroundings. As the lunch hour approached, Joe called for Bobby so the two of them could eat the sandwiches they had packed for lunch. He looked out the control room, and to his surprise, Bobby was nowhere to be found.
"Bobby, Bobby," called Joe. No answer. He yelled louder, "Bobby!"
He frantically began searching the area around the control room. No Bobby. As he ran back to the other side of the control room, he heard the phone ringing in the control room. Knowing this was the phone that ships and trains called when they were approaching the bridge, he quickly picked it up. On the other end of the line, the conductor of an oncoming train let him know they would be crossing the bridge in five minutes and the bridge must be down. Joe quickly agreed, then rushed back onto the platform.
"Bobby, Bobby!" Running from one side to the other, he suddenly heard a faint voice he knew so well. "Dad, Dad!"
Joe rushed to the direction of the voice only to make a horrifying discovery. Out of curiosity, Bobby had crawled onto the bridge when it was up and his shirt tail was hung on the end of the bridge. Bobby was stuck, with no way to get out.
Knowing that the train full of people would soon cross the bridge, Joe had a choice to make. If he crawled out on the open bridge to get his son, the oncoming train filled with people would fall to the waters below. If he let the bridge down, his son would be crushed to death.
The phone in the control room rang again and Joe ran to pick it up. It was the conductor of the oncoming train announcing that he was two minutes from crossing the bridge. Joe hung up the phone and stepped outside the control room. He could see Bobby's feet hanging as he continued screaming, "Dad, Dad!!"
With a broken heart that was beyond description, Joe knew he had to make the "right" decision. He placed his hand on the lever, and with unbelievable sacrifice, pulled the lever to lower the bridge. "Dad, Dad." Bobby cried until he was silenced. As the bridge came to a close, Joe watched as the "right thing" to do collided with the toughest decision of his life.
As the train came across the tracks, Joe could hear the people eating, drinking, and laughing. They were oblivious to the sacrifice Joe had made that day.
This Father's Day, we are guaranteed the love of one "Dad" who had us in mind when he "pulled the lever." He allowed His only son to die so that he could forever bridge the gap that stood between us and Him. This is the ultimate Father's love, and it was definitely worth doing right.
Happy Father's Day to my Dad all of the Dad's who have made great sacrifice in order to do the "right" thing.
Shannon Perry is a speaker/singer whose new If The Shoe Fits women's conferences combine her teaching prowess with her musical talent. Perry's new music CD entitled The Real Thing (produced by Lifeway writer/producer Paul Marino) features songs specifically written to fit in with the theme of the conferences. Perry wrote the bulk of the original presentation in hospital waiting rooms while her husband was undergoing cancer treatment. Perry earned her Master's Degree in Education with an emphasis in counseling and taught in the public school system for over fourteen years before entering into full-time ministry. She has previously-released music projects with both Daywind and Benson Records which garnered radio airplay on the national Christian charts. She has performed with the Houston Symphony and has even appeared at Carnegie Hall. She has been a featured soloist at the J&J Music Conferences in Houston, Texas, and led praise and worship at numerous women's conferences and for the national Lifeway conferences held annually in New Mexico and North Carolina. For more information, visit www.ShannonPerry.com
Originally published June 15, 2010.
