“Daddy, daddy! Please tell us a story!” Brittney and I would crawl up beside him before bed, each of us under one of his strong arms. Then he would begin with, “When I was a little boy.” On and on he would recreate the past. We would sit spellbound by his steady voice and captivating scenes.
It seems only fitting that I endear you to him a bit more. If you’re itching to know how to make blueberry pancakes, build a treehouse or learn lessons off in a pasture somewhere, read on. He may not have been perfect but I sure couldn’t tell it. As I love to say, “I thought he walked on water.”
Without further ado, ladies and gentlemen, my dad, Jim Stockdale.
The room was crowded and full of people. Our seats were good but not near the front. I listened as each instrument in the orchestra was tuned by the musician playing it. There was a confusing sound of varied notes as the 18-member band continued their tuning process. A distinguished-looking man stepped up to the small lectern with a short stick he carried in his hand. (Later, I learned this was called a baton) This man is the Conductor. He tapped the lectern to get everyone’s attention, and this discordant sound of individuals transformed into the world-famous Glenn Miller Band. As the sound of “A String of Pearls” began to emit from those instruments, a disconnected group of guys blowing their own horns a few moments before, I sat stunned.
When Kristen asked if I would write something for Father’s Day, I reflected on a comment I had made to her about an orchestra.
Although the orchestra may contain many instruments, there is only one Conductor. That’s a father. There can be but one in the home. Though you may be blowing your own horn, when he taps the lectern for attention, you give it, for fear that he will pull a different baton and tap something else to get your attention.
There were 18 members of the Glenn Miller band the night I heard them in Huntington, TN, but each one was a master in his/her own right. Yet still, they needed a conductor. Each musician in the band was a professional and could run the scale with absolute perfection, yet they still required a conductor to duplicate the music of the now-deceased Glenn Miller.
How did they do it? By playing the notes written on the music score. Each written piece of music comes with a time signature and key in which it is to be played. Each key has three major chords that define it, but it is filled with many varied notes. The time signature is stamped on the staff beside the treble clef. Typically it is 4/4, 3/4, or maybe even 6/8. Each of these indicates the time signature for a song to be played. While the musicians may not all play the same notes simultaneously, they will all be in the same time signature.
The Conductor is counting the time with his baton, and the musicians follow his count.
My father, James Stockdale, was the Conductor of our home. He taught my two siblings and me to live and play harmoniously with the rest of the family. We may not have all played the same notes, but we had to march to the count of his baton or regret the moment we got out of step. While the piccolo may be playing double-time to the bass drum, it is still in time with the Conductor, even if its notes are more shrill than those of the clarinet. Trumpets, saxophones, flutes, and clarinets all played that night and blended into a rich remembrance of the Glenn Miller band. I enjoyed their music and still listen to many of their songs.
A successful band comes down to this, you must play in harmony with those playing with you, and you must be in time with the Conductor leading you.
Families function much like a band. They take time to tune before the big show and are allowed their space to do so. Still, to produce a symphonic sound of harmonious music that those around them can enjoy, there must be a conductor leading the count and correcting errant members. The aforementioned man, James Stockdale, is still the Conductor in my head. I still see him as I lead or conduct. I say and lead in a manner demonstrated to me by him.
Fathers, your children are going to follow your lead. Make sure your baton gives the proper count (even if it needs to be on the seat of their pants), and the band will provide the right sound.
Jim Stockdale
Make time to pull your kids close and tell them a story. It will build in them a symphony of music that keeps playing long after they are grown. The telephone calls, cards, and visits will be music to Daddy’s ears.
Welcome Home
“Praise Him with the sounding of the trumpet. Praise Him with the harp and lyre. Praise Him with the timbrel and dancing. Praise Him with the strings and pipe. Praise Him with the clash of the cymbals. Praise Him with the resounding cymbals.” Psalms 150:3-5
My parents, Jim and Pam Stockdale are involved in full-time missions called Latin American Ministry. They travel all over Latin America feeding the hungry and preaching the Gospel. To learn more about them and what they do visit their website at latinamericanministry.org
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