Admiration Mondays (a day late): Scott Nelson
Yesterday was our anniversary so I didn’t write an Admiration Monday blog and decided to write it today instead.
Today I want to tell you about my dad, Scott Nelson.
I’ve always been a daddy’s girl. My dad was always able to understand me even when I felt like no one else could. One of the best complements I have ever had given to me was being told that I was like my dad. I always strived to be like my dad, but he has some pretty big shoes to fill.
My dad is literally brilliant. He has an analytical and very mathematical mind. He never graduated from college, but he has always been learning. He’s taught himself most of what he knows and has been very successful. When I was just a baby my dad got sick and his friend let him borrow his computer so that he would have something to do while stuck in bed. During that time he fell in love with computers and taught himself computer languages. He went on to actually write his own computer language and start a software company that he has built up from nothing to an international presence (a small international presence, but still a presence). I’m really proud of my dad for all that.
But, my dad is not just brilliant when it comes to computers and math and running a business, he’s also incredibly wise. For as long as I can remember he was a guy that other people went to for advice. He just has a way of looking at a situation and seeing it for what it really is. This was a quality in my dad that I more than admired it was one I wanted to develop as well. I vividly remember as a little girl praying to be wise like my daddy.
Something else that I have always admired and loved about my dad is his natural gift for storytelling. He has a way of pulling people into a story. He’s dynamic and passionate when he tells stories and it makes people want to listen to him. I love listening to my dad. When I was little I remember that I would rather sit and listen to my dad talk to the adults then go play with the other kids. It’s a real skill and it’s one of the things I love about my dad.
I think more than anything else though I love that my dad has taught me what it looks like to walk authentically and holistically with God. My dad taught me from a very early age that all of life was ministry and that we were all missionaries. He taught me to be open with my faith but never pushy or overly preachy. My dad taught me to value the local church (he was always very involved in the churches that we went to), but he also taught me that people are what really matters. My dad taught me that the only thing that was really important was to love God and love people and then he modeled that for me. My dad taught me that each person is different and that God’s calling on each person is different, but that we are all called to be ministers of God’s grace in the areas that God places us. My dad has taught me that life with God is never stagnant, it is always moving and growing and God is always showing us new things and taking us to new places. I’ve been blessed to watch my dad as he walks through life with his God and I have learned so much from it.
I love you daddy!
May God continue to bless you and the work of your hands. May He bless you with ever increasing wisdom in the years to come. May He bless you with rest after many years of hard work. And may He continue to use you to bring his grace and redemption more fully into this world. May God bless you and keep you, make His face shine upon you, and give you peace!
Rejoicing in the journey - Bethany
Photograph by Beth Stedman