I didn’t have a godly dad. By listening daily for years, as I was raising and homeschooling our 6 children, I felt Doctor Dobson became my spiritual dad. I was abandoned in a bathroom in the NYC subway at 7 days old, placed in a foundling home, then abused in 2 foster homes before being adopted at age one. My adoptive parents had serious emotional issues, plus gambling. They loved me the best they could, but I didn’t have a clue how to raise healthy, godly children until I learned from Doctor Dobson. My primary goal became to see them accept Jesus as their Savior. My husband of 48 years was not a believer until age 72, so I often felt alone in the parenting role. Jim Dobson led the way, taught me, and provided counseling through Focus when I needed it. I am 76 now, and look forward to thanking him in heaven someday. My prayers are with Shirley and the family. Our son David was killed 3 years ago, so I am familiar with grief. I look forward to David meeting Dr. Dobson in heaven. Thank you, Dad.
PreviousSomewhere back in the early-to-mid 90s, I traveled to Colorado Springs with my family for 6 weeks in the winter. I was the music director for a Christmas show at The Broadmoor Hotel. The first year, I started a prayer group backstage before the show with 3 of us. In a few years, it grew to include the entire band and cast (25 or 30). One of those years, Dr. Dobson came to the show. After the show, I was in the basement of the theater, changing out of my tux, and someone came and said that there was a man named Jim Dobson who wanted to meet me! My wife and I were homeschooling our son, and Dr. Dobson was VERY high on our radar. I got my tux back on very fast and went upstairs to meet one of my heroes. He was such a gracious, humble man. He simply wanted to thank us for leaving Christ in our Christmas show and to tell me that he was bringing his wife and several from his staff back in a week or so. I asked if he and Shirley would join us for prayer backstage when he came back, which he did. He then invited my wife, my son, and me to come to Focus on the Family’s staff Christmas celebration during the day later that month. We did, and he and Shirley treated us so kindly! He had already made a huge impact on my family and me, but meeting him was a true gift for all of us . . . one of the times that I felt like I was on someone else’s itinerary. God be with Shirley, Ryan, Danae, and all those he left behind. His legacy lives on. Glory to God!
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