Tell me about your daddy

I have been avoiding writing this post for a very long time.  The title alone is one that can elicit a wide variety of responses.  For some people the thought of their dad will cause a visible smile to spread across their face, thinking of all of the lovely things that make their dad who he is.  For others it may cause their eyes to well up with tears because their dad is no longer on earth.  There are others who may get a sinking feeling in their stomach because their relationship with their dad isn't a good one.  There are some who may not know their dad at all.  There are some who think of a stepdad or foster dad when thinking of their dad.  There may even be some who won't read this post at all because it has to do with dads.  That's why it has been so hard for me to write this, it's hard for me to talk about my dad. 

When people talk about God as The Father, its is often hard for me to comprehend that.  I don't have a good relationship with my dad so my view of what a father looks like is cloudy.  I never really understood what a dad was supposed to be like until my husband became a dad.  The flaws in my relationship with my earthly dad, have made it hard for me to take in who God REALLY is and understand His unconditional love. What does unconditional love even look like? How can He love me, even when I'm messing up? How can He love me, even when I'm not serving Him? How can He delight in little ol' me? How can He provide over and over without failing? How can I trust that He will show up every single time? How can I hold tight to His promises? How can I take comfort in Him? How can I trust His word?

Over the next few weeks leading up to Father's Day, I want to take the time to really dig in and uncover the truth about Gods love as our Daddy, with a capital "D".  It is my prayer that these next few weeks won't be all about my hurts and scars from my earthly dad (or yours) but about who God really is, and the truth in His love.  Even the best earthly dads can fall short sometimes (they're human after all, and lets be honest, it's hard to compare to God Almighty) but I pray that overall we will draw nearer to God, and really open our eyes to what His love is like.   

As you read each post it's possible some of you will smile because your earthly dad loves you like God does. You may think of all you admire about him, and take the time to thank God for him.  Some of you will think of an uncle, or a grandpa who stood in the gap in your life and loved you with The Fathers love.  Maybe there's a few of you who will see your husband and your children being raised with The Fathers love. There might even a few of you who, at times find it's hard for you to read because your earthly father fell short like mine did. Maybe it will sting a bit because you will be reminded of past hurts, or things that weren't the way you'd hoped they would be.  Hopefully this will bring grace, forgiveness, and healing to your soul if that is what you need. 

The first truth I want to uncover is that you don't have to earn Gods love, it's already there. Always has been, always will be. That has been hard for me to understand because I have a dad who only shows interest in people when they are of use to him.  If they don't meet a need of his or once they already have, he's done with them until he needs them again.  He doesn't have genuine, meaningful relationships with anyone.  This left me having to do what I could to try to earn his love and attention. He was present one moment, then gone the next.  God doesn't operate that way at all.  You don't have to chase His love and affection.  He does see value in everyone, but He doesn't love you because He has a use for you.  God is all powerful, He doesn't NEED any of us, He wants us, He delights in us, and that is such a joyful thought to me.  There's nothing you or I  can do that can make God love us any more than He already does, and there is nothing we can do that will make Him love us any less.

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 5:8

 

The bible says while we were STILL sinners, Christ died for us.  Not once we surrendered our life to God.  Not while we had our act together.  Not while we were bright and shiny inside and out.  Not while we were meeting the needs of others and at church every Sunday.  Not while we were reading His word and sharing the gospel (yes He does desire us to do those things) but at our darkest.  AT OUR DARKEST, MOST UGLY MOMENTS, Christ died for us.  He was mocked, beaten, and spat upon.  He had His beard ripped from His face and pieces of flesh torn from His body.  He had a crown of thorns thrust upon His head.  He was stretched out and nailed limb by limb to a wooden cross that was erected for all to see, causing Him to gasp for breath.  He was innocent, He didn't have to die.  He could have called 12,000 angels to set Him free ( Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels?  How then could the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen thus? Matthew 26:53-54)

 

He died for you, and for me knowing we might never love Him in return.  That's unconditional love.  He doesn't love us for any reason other than He just does.

 

In His Love,

Rosalynn