The Heart of a Father

This week marks the one year anniversary of the death of my best friend Tracee's dad. (You can have more than one best friend:)  Knowing it has been coming has made me sensitive, and pray for her more.  As most of you know, my dad died when I was 12, and in February, it will have been 25 years since he passed away.  That's a long time to be without a dad.

If there is one aspect of God I have consistently struggled with, it's seeing Him as a Father.  But not in the way you might think.  I know many people who also have the same problem.  They can't see God as Father because their earthly one was so terrible.  But my dad was about as perfect as they come, and I have a hard time seeing God live up to that.  Did I just say that out loud?

My dad was 6'4", with black hair, a black mustache, and very handsome.  Think Tom Selleck as Magnum P.I.!  He was a farmer and a Pastor; physical strength, with a gentle shepherd's heart.  Kind of reminds me of another "Shepherd" I've heard about.  Physical strength of a carpenter, heart of a TRUE shepherd.  You would think the transition of a heart's affection would easily shift from an earthly father to a Heavenly one with that kind of dad.  For some reason this has not been the case for me, and I don't really know why. 

Fast forward 25 years, and now I'm a mother to 5 earthly children.  Ethan is 6, and our youngest.  Every time we are in church, sometime during the sermon, he ends up on either Bill's lap or mine.  Lately I have noticed his attitude when he does this.  He ASSUMES he can climb up.  He KNOWS he will be welcomed with our arms going around him.  He is CONFIDENT  he will not be turned away.  He TAKES FOR GRANTED that the lap is always available to him, and he grins every time he climbs up.  His heart is at peace when he is in his parent's lap.

I look around and see others who may have a hard time making the heart switch from an earthly father to their Heavenly One.  Marianne, who's father abused her in ways that should never happen. Chris, who is now becoming the caretaker of her once Navy-strong father, and starting to see the loss of her earthly dad.  Tracee, who is already grieving the loss of her beautiful, Godly, human father.  For some reason or another, so many struggle with seeing God as their True, Heavenly Father.

But the truth is, we need to learn to look at Him the way Ethan looks at Bill and I.  We should ASSUME that we can climb up in His lap.  We should KNOW we will be welcomed with His arms around us.  We should be CONFIDENT we will not be turned away.  And we SHOULD grin every time we climb up. 

I was wrong.  I have NOT been without a dad.  He is waiting for me, for us, to climb up in His lap.   Jesus says in John 14:18, "I will not leave you as orphans; I WILL COME TO YOU." (emphasis mine)    Just like the father to the prodigal son, God HIMSELF will come to us.  And 1 John 4:18 says "We love Him because He first loved us."  Our Heavenly Father loves us, and will come to us.  Sounds like He is the TRUEST Daddy we will ever find.