In Loving Remembrance...

On June 6th of 2005, my father - Walter Louis Wojak - passed from this world and into the next. The Lord is, indeed, sovereign over all circumstances...and his passing was quite unexpected, none the less.

Today, April 15th, would have been his 49th birthday.



My Dad was truly unlike any man I have ever met. Growing up in a severely dysfunctional home, the Lord drew my father away from his life of drugs and alcohol (by amazingly providential circumstances), and - over the years - dramatically transformed his life into one of the most unique testimonies and commited Christians I will ever know.

Looking back, I am utterly amazed at the impact that our Lord God had on his memorable life.

My Dad loved the Lord. More than anything, he longed to know and experience the intense love of Christ that had been so absent from his unfortunate youth. Some of my fondest remembrances of him are when I sleepily walked into the living room in the early morning hours, and found Pop in his favorite chair, Bible open, journal open, and his strong hands clasped in humble and earnest prayer. Dad clung to the Truth of God in desperation, because he had experienced what it was like to be without Him.

Dad's laugh could lighten anyone's hard heart: loud, strong, and genuine. He was such a remarkable mind: the man could remember the most random, remotest, and complex topics. I remember how eager I used to be to inform him of something "new and intelligent" that I had learned - so confident that it would be something he had never studied; only to be foiled again as Dad rattled off his extensive knowledge of my "mystery subject." Dad was not without his faults (who is?), but it was the grace he demonstrated to everyone - regardless of circumstance - that was one of the strongest fingerprints of Christ in His life.

Remembering him on this day, what touches me the most was his profound tenderness and servant-heart. I could always run to my Daddy whenever I was scared, confused, troubled, or just in need of a good hug. He was always looking for opportunities to love and serve those around him: from his humble practice of a chiropractor/acuptuncturist, to ministering to his hurting/needful family.

My father taught me what a man of God should be. Sometimes I cringe because I didn't appreciate him enough. I wish that I had taken advantage of more opportunities to tell him how much I loved him, how much I respected him, and how much I learned from him. My Dad was the one who led me to Christ... I am so grateful to be his daughter. The Lord could not have given me a greater Christian example of a father and husband.

Last year, Dad's "birthday gift" was a fishing trip to Kohler, WI, in which he caught a gorgeous trout (the only fish on the trip, to be exact) at the exact time of day that he was delivered into this world. This year, my beloved father basks in the everlasting glow of the One who loves Him most.

I love you, Daddy! See you in Heaven...