Well, not many children today use the term ‘daddy’, but back in the nineteen thirties and forties me and my siblings, and all my pals called their Mother – ‘mammy’, and their Father, ‘daddy’. Today is the anniversary of his death in 1978, so I was looking at some old photos, and recalling many happy childhood and life memories.
Dad was born at Wolesley Street in Glasgow in 1895; these were the days of horse drawn trams, and stage coaches, and when ‘horse and carts’ were the main means of transporting goods as the photo below illustrates. The family moved to the Ibrox area of Glasgow when he was still a child, and there he attended the ‘Band of Hope’, a child’s club at the local church. One night they taught the children a new song, ‘Jesus wants me for a sunbeam’. On arriving back home he found the house empty as his mammy was at a neighbour’s house and daddy was out. So he tells how he knelt at the black fire grate and prayed “Jesus if you want me for a sunbeam, I’ll be a sunbeam for you‘. You might think that a bit crazy, childish and simplistic, but Jesus loves the children as the Gospels tell us, and the truth is my daddy spent the rest of his 83 years as an ardent follower of Jesus, and always put that down to his early childhood prayer!
With countless others he lived through two world wars and the great depresssion. He had trained and worked as an engineer, but during ‘the great depression’ he managed to get some work as a welding company van driver. These were the days of community ‘soup kitchens’ and great hardship, but somehow by the grace of God, there was always food on the table. He was an inspector at Rolls Royce during much of my lifetime and worked long hours Monday to Saturday in aid ot the war effort during WWII. He had met Mary Smiith at the Bethel Mission in Kinning Park and they married in 1927. They had a family of six children. The youngest one in the pram, is not named ‘Boris’ but Matthew 🙂
Most of my earliest memories were after we moved from Ibrox to a new council flat in Shawlands. There we were enrolled in due time at the local schools and at Church Sunday school. The boys also joined the local Boys Brigade, and were regulars at our own church in Pollokshaws, who held a weekly Children’s hour packed to the door with kids. No TV in these days!! History in someways repeated itself, as just after one such children’s hour, where they were serialising the story of John Bunyon’s best selling book ‘The Pilgrim’s Progress’ accompanied by ‘Lantern Slides’, we arrived back home and our daddy was asked, how can you be sure you will go to heaven when you die? He explaianed to us in childlike terms, the amazing story of God’s love for us, and how Jesus died in our place, and rose from the dead, so we can be forgiven. Then me and my three brothers prayed the ‘Sorry’, ‘Thank you’, ‘Please’ prayer to Jesus. Sorry for my sin, thank you for dying in my place, please come into my life and be my Saviour and friend. So that’s when and how our life as Christians began.
We were a family with a love for the great outdoors, and before the days of cars, we walked for miles on Saturday afternoons after daddy came home from work. Our parents always managed to take us on holiday at the ‘Glasgow Fair’ each year, usually to a place on the Clyde Coast but occasionally further afield. Here are some photos.
My Father gave us all lots of good advice throughout life, and led by example in key areas of honesty, integrity, consistency and commitment to his word. He was a man of sincere faith and prayer, with many down to earth examples on practical living in the home and workplace, and also in love and faithfulness within marriage. One piece of advice he gave me that stands out above the rest, and has stood the test of time, was from the book of Proverbs chapter 3:5,6. It reads
Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.
I know of course that not everyone has good memories of their father, which is very sad. Of course no earthly father is perfect, and neither was mine, but we do have a Heavenly Father who is, and who loves us beyond measure, and we can come to Him in complete confidence and trust. He already knows all about us, our mistakes, our troubles, joys and sorrows, so we can speak openly and honestly to Him in the Name of Jesus. Perhaps a simple Sorry, Please, and Thankyou prayer to start with?
Jesus wants me for a Sunbeam – Children’s hymn lyrics
- Jesus wants me for a sunbeam, To shine for him each day; In ev’ry way try to please him, At home, at school, at play.
- Chorus: A sunbeam, a sunbeam, Jesus wants me for a sunbeam. A sunbeam, a sunbeam, I’ll be a sunbeam for him.
- Jesus wants me to be loving, And kind to all I see, Showing how pleasant and happy His little one can be.
Blessings as you prepare to celebrate Christmas.
Matthew
Matthew McKinnon's Blog 