The Man Who Built More Than Things

Father’s Day is a time to honor the men who helped shape us. Not every great man stands on a stage. Not every great man becomes famous. Some of the greatest men live quiet lives of faithfulness, waking up every day, going to work, loving their families, serving God, and doing what needs to be done.

That is my dad, Graylyn Davis. My dad is one of the most faithful and humble men I know. He probably wouldn’t want attention. He probably wouldn’t ask for recognition. But when I look at his life, I see something rare.

Consistency.
Commitment.
Faithfulness.

A man who showed me what it looks like to work hard, love your wife, provide for your family, and follow Christ through every season of life.

Carrying Forward a Legacy

Hard work was something my dad learned early. My grandfather worked at Ford Motor Company before him, but sadly I never really had the privilege of knowing him. He died of a heart attack while working at Ford when I was still small. But that legacy of hard work continued. My dad followed in his footsteps and spent decades working at Ford Motor Company.

For a season, that meant working night shift. That meant sacrifice. That meant being away while everyone else was sleeping. But eventually he was able to move to day shift, which allowed him to spend more time with his family. That is something I never questioned about my dad. He worked hard because he loved us.

The Man Who Could Build Anything

Growing up, I thought my dad could build or fix just about anything, because honestly, he pretty much could. I watched him re-roof our house. I watched him dig out the entire outside perimeter of our basement by hand to waterproof it. I still remember the dirt caving in around him and his feet getting stuck in the mud. But he kept going, because that’s what Dad did.

He built a deck. Then he built a deck around the pool. He built a playhouse. He built an addition onto the garage. He built a dog kennel. He landscaped our yard beautifully, with plenty of direction and oversight from Mom, of course. He even built his own wooden fence around the entire perimeter of the yard.

And because he loved me, he built me something every kid dreamed of. A skateboard ramp. If it involved wood, Dad could figure it out. One year for a school social studies project, he even helped me by building the Parthenon out of wood. Most kids probably showed up with cardboard. I showed up with something that looked like a carpenter from ancient Greece had been hired. That was Dad.

Building a Business and a Ministry

Eventually my parents took a huge step of faith and opened a Christian bookstore, and Dad brought the same work ethic there that he brought everywhere else. He worked his job, then he worked at the store. He constantly improved things. New locations. New fixtures. New displays. He built the music shelves by hand. He created incredible displays for Mom’s floral designs, and as the store grew and changed, I remember helping him move that place what felt like fifty different times.

But the bookstore was never just a business. It was ministry. Over the years, people came back and told us how a book, a Bible, or Christian music they discovered through that store changed their lives.

Seeds were planted.
People were encouraged.
The Gospel was shared.
And my parents were faithful.

Building a Foundation of Faith

My dad’s service wasn’t limited to fixing things, building things, or helping behind the scenes. Together, mom and dad also invested deeply into the spiritual lives of children, including mine. When I was young, they led Bible Club at Tower Baptist Church from the time I was little all the way into my junior high years. Week after week, they gave their time teaching kids about God’s Word and helping build a foundation of faith.

Eventually they became involved with Word of Life Olympians, a ministry that had a huge impact on me personally. Through that program, I learned the importance of a daily quiet time with God. I learned discipline in reading my Bible. I learned the value of hiding God’s Word in my heart through scripture memorization.

And I  memorized a lot of scripture. At the time, I probably didn’t fully appreciate what Mom and Dad were giving me. As a kid, memorizing verses sometimes just felt like something you had to complete for a prize, but looking back now, I realize they were giving me tools I would need for the rest of my life.

Psalm 119:11 says:

“I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.”

That is exactly what they helped me do. They planted Scripture deep in my heart long before I understood how badly I would need it. Decades later, through some of the hardest seasons of my life, those truths have remained. The Bible verses, the lessons, and the foundation they helped build have continued to guide me.

That is one of the greatest gifts Christian parents can give their children. Not just a good childhood. Not just memories. A foundation. Mom and dad didn’t just tell me faith mattered, they showed me.

The Dad I Remember

As much as I respect my dad for how hard he worked, some of my favorite memories are the simple ones. Playing catch. Going fishing at Huron Pier. Playing basketball on our garage hoop. Riding the Witches Wheel with him at Cedar Point, even though he didn’t like going upside down. Spending time together.

I remember going with him to the Autorama Tractor Pull at the Richfield Coliseum and seeing the original Bigfoot monster truck. On the drive home in his old Ford truck, I remember sliding across that old bench seat to sit right next to him. No seatbelt. No safety concerns. Just a little boy who wanted to sit close to his dad because he loved him.

Sometimes I would slide over next to him, and Dad would grab my knee, squeeze it, and yell “ANIMAL!” Just to make me jump. I still do that to my kids today, because some traditions are worth keeping.

Lessons From the Garden

Dad always had an incredible garden, especially tomatoes. Huge tomatoes. One year I entered one of his tomatoes into a local tomato festival thinking we had a real chance. Then someone showed up with a seven-pound monster tomato and crushed our dreams. But that was Dad. Whether it was building something, fixing something, growing something, or creating something, he always worked with excellence.

Sacrifice Nobody Saw

Looking back now as a father myself, I understand things I didn’t understand as a kid. My parents sacrificed a lot for my sister and me. Private Christian school was not cheap, especially back then. My mom had health challenges and was on disability, yet somehow mom and dad found a way to send both of us through Christian school for all twelve years. They even helped pay for half of my college. As a kid, you don’t fully understand sacrifice. As an adult, you do.

You realize your parents went without so you could have more. Dad taught me that providing for your family isn’t just about money. It’s about sacrifice.

A Faithful Man

One of the greatest things I can say about my dad is this:

He has been faithful.
Faithful to God.
Faithful to my mom.
Faithful to his family.

Dad never chased the wrong things. He never touched alcohol or drugs. He remained faithful to my Mom and showed me what commitment looks like.

Was he perfect? No. He had that famous “Davis temper” like the rest of us, but over the years, I watched him mature. I watched him grow. I watched him become more patient. That’s another lesson. Godly men are not perfect men. They are men who allow God to keep working on them.

When Life Got Difficult

One of the greatest examples of my dad’s character is his marriage. After I was born, my mom faced cancer that eventually caused her to lose her leg, hip, and pelvis. At one point, she even told my dad he could leave if he wanted to.

He didn’t.
He stayed.
He loved her.
He served her.
He cared for her.
For decades.

That kind of love is rare. That is covenant love. That is what commitment looks like. The world often teaches love is a feeling. My dad showed me love is a choice.

The Day Everything Changed at the Store

One of the scariest moments in our family happened when Dad was robbed at gunpoint while working at the bookstore. I still remember being at work when I heard what happened. And if you know my dad, you know his personality. The entire time it was happening, part of him was thinking about how he could take the guy down, but he didn’t know if the robber actually had a gun or if it was a banana or something under his hoodie.

Thankfully, Dad made it through safely. Not long after that, my parents eventually decided it was time to liquidate the store and close that chapter of their lives, but the impact remained.

Retirement Wasn’t Really Retirement

After retiring from Ford, Dad did what Dad does. He kept working. He started doing custodial work at Oberlin College. Then he worked at Walmart, and he stayed there for thirteen more years. Most people retire and slow down. Dad just found something else to do.

Even after finally retiring for good, he still works constantly around the house, the yard, garden, projects, fixing things, building things, serving Mom. That is just who he is.

The Pepsi Collection

And of course, you can’t talk about Dad without mentioning Pepsi. Dad has become one of the biggest Pepsi collectors you’ll ever meet. With more than 10,000 items, he may honestly have one of the largest collections around. I admire collecting things myself, although I have no idea what I’m going to do someday if I inherit part of it. I might need another house.

A Father’s Legacy

Today, my parents are enjoying a new chapter. They bought a camper and now travel around the eastern United States together. After decades of work, sacrifice, challenges, and faithfulness, they get to enjoy the life they built. And Dad still continues to teach me. He still helps me fix and build things. He is still there. Even during the hardest season of my own life, Dad has loved me, supported me, encouraged me, and helped point me in the right direction.

He doesn’t just tell me what is right. He tries to live it.

What I Hope My Boys Learn

As I raise my own sons, I hope I can pass down even a small piece of what my dad gave me.

Work hard.
Love God.
Love your family.
Stay faithful.
Serve others.

Do what needs to be done even when nobody notices, because when I look at my dad, I see a man who built a lot of things. Decks, fences, shelves, buildings, businesses, gardens.

But the greatest thing he built was a legacy, a legacy of faith commitment, a father who showed his son what a godly man looks like.

Dad, I love you. Thank you for everything you have done for me. Thank you for loving Mom. Thank you for loving our family. Thank you for pointing us toward Christ, and thank you for showing me that a faithful life is a life well lived.