Day 11--Rob Sharp

Do you know my father-in-law?

If you don't know Rob Sharp, you're really missing out.

This side-burned, cut-off wearing, motorcycle-drivin' ex-trucker used to intimidate the heck out of me when my husband and I first began dating (almost TWELVE YEARS AGO).

But, then, I got to know him.  Despite his rough exterior, he is big teddy bear on the inside. 

He loves to read books, and cries at sentimental movies.  Sometimes he cries at sentimental commercials.

He speaks his mind in brutal honestly.  I personally find his bluntness refreshing and admirable.  I especially enjoy watching other people's reactions to his openness when they are experiencing it for the first time.  I truly wish I could be more like him in this regard.  And maybe I could be if I wasn't such a non-confrontational wiener.

He is extremely intelligent and never shies away from sharing his take on a subject.  But, he still listens respectfully to you even if he happens to disagree with you (this actually is quite a rare attribute for a person to have if you think about it).

He is always willing to help us.  He has worked on our vehicles countless times.  He has been over to our house to help us install our bathroom floor, put in our new washing machine, hook up our ceiling fans, unplug our...well, you get the idea.  It has saved us so much time, energy, and money for these projects as well as many others.

Rob and his grandkids at the "kids' table", Easter 2010

He is a fantastic father and grandfather.  He demands excellence, but is patient and understanding.  Even though he used to yell, "HIT THE DAMN BALL!" to Colby in his high school games, you could tell that he was doing it in love.  This is the only guy I know who can get kicked out of a little league baseball game and play dollies with Dharia Lou on the same day.

And he's always a bit of a question mark.  For example, tonight, when we went over to visit, I shared how my grandmother was teaching me how to knit (See "Day 10--Knitting...?).  To my utter shock and amazement, he replied, "I used to knit!"

Further conversation revealed that knitting was "just something I wanted to learn how to do."  We briefly discussed some of the technical aspects of the technique, and I marveled on the way home on what a cool father-in-law I have.

Thank God for Rob Sharp!

 Lord, thank you for blessing my life with such a wonderful and unique father-in-law.  Thank you for all of the things he is willing to do for me and my family.  Thank you for the incredible, loving grandfather he is to my children.  Lord, I pray that you would use me to help bless his life as well.  In your name I pray, Amen.

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