I was no different growing up than many other kids. Some things I got right, and other things I messed up royally.

I thought my parents didn’t know what they were talking about on most things, and I learned the hard way as a result. Why didn’t I trust their experience rather than leaning to my occasional hard-headedness? I suppose it was part of the maturation process.

The real truth is, I am blessed to have two amazing parents. I don’t think I realized what they brought to my life until I became an adult and had children of my own. Now I have replaced them in not knowing what I am talking about.

Nonetheless, I thank God that He allowed me to survive getting in the way of myself and the opportunity to see His hand through it all. The lessons of life are more powerful than any book or class could ever provide.

I am honored this week to celebrate my father. This year will not be an ordinary Father’s Day for our family but one that will not soon be forgotten.

On June 18, the Prince Georges County Track and Field Olympic Stadium in Maryland will be dedicated and renamed after my father. For generations to come, anyone going to FedEx Field to watch a Redskins game will pass the adjacent stadium bearing my dad’s name.

What I realize is that no matter what it looked like, the Lord had a plan. He knew that this day was coming. He knew He would reward my father for his faithfulness.
Being raised primarily by a village of people, never knowing his father due to his untimely death, exaggerating his age to get into the military, my father did not lose the core of who God created him to be. He is a committed warrior determined to see justice through until the end. Never did he seek fame or fortune, just the reward associated with helping somebody be better than they were the day before.

As a young girl, I saw my father organize a group of people to fight for the simple rights of home ownership. Perhaps it was one of the first neighborhood associations in the area. “Citizens for Better Government” was their name, and from that he became the mayor of our small town, moving on to be a county councilman. His life has been about service -- service to the people who didn’t have a voice, but through him, their voices were loud and clear.

The stadium is an example of his greatest accomplishment in partnership with Jack Kent Cooke, former owner of the Redskins. Even in his discussions around bringing the Redskins’ stadium to Maryland, he did not forget about the people who lived in the surrounding area and what they would get out of the deal. The community could not see what he could see, and truthfully fought him at every turn, but he remained steadfast and unmovable. Now, directly adjacent to Redskins Stadium, and the soon to be named Marvin F. Wilson Track and Field Olympic Stadium, there is a Sports and Learn Center where the community can swim, walk, run, and learn.

So it is for any event of life; no matter how small (Matthew 10:29-31) or how large (Daniel 4:35; Proverbs 21:1), God is sovereign over all (Ephesians 1:11; Psalm 115:3; Isaiah 46:9-10) and thus nothing is merely the matter of chance.
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Tanya Wilson is an inspirational speaker and author living in Charlotte. Friend her on Facebook or write her at tw360you@aol.com.

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