A daddy’s love
This one’s for the girls. For the girls who had the best fathers and the girls who wished they did. For the girls who never had a father or whose father is no longer alive. I know the father/son relationship is also very important, but I don’t have experience in that arena. So tonight, I write to my girls.
This evening, I participated in our church’s emergency training for volunteers. Before the official training began, we were asked to introduce ourselves to a few people we didn’t know. As I was driving to the training, I asked God to prepare the way because I knew there wouldn’t be many people there that I knew well. During that time of introduction, He put Derrick and Dan in my path. Derrick introduced himself and I soon learned he would be leading the safety training that night. I noticed a little girl near him and asked if she was his. He smiled and said, “Yes” and explained that she wanted to join him tonight. Throughout the training, it was a joy to watch her proudly look up at her dad.
Then I met Dan. Our pastor asked us to share a “fun fact” with each other and his fun fact was that his daughter was at her prom tonight. He beamed as he shared that with me. I could sense his love for his little girl and I smiled, envisioning her in her beautiful dress at prom.
There’s this really wonderful book about a woman’s soul called Captivating. In it, author Stasi Eldredge writes, “Little girls need the tender strength of their fathers. They need to know that their daddies are strong and will protect them; they need to know that their fathers are for them. Above all, a little girl learns the answer to her Question (Am I lovely? Do you see me? Do you want to see me?) from her father. Remember twirling skirts? We twirled in front of our daddies. We wanted to know, ‘Daddy, am I lovely? Am I captivating?’ From them, we learn that we are delighted in, that we are special…or that we are not. How a father relates to his daughter has an enormous effect on her soul — for good or for evil” (p. 62).
As I think of Derrick and Dan with their daughters, I am filled with such joy. They are bringing so much good into this world, giving their daughters such a great foundation of love. They are tangibly showing their daughters a glimpse into how God feels about them. However, I know this is not always the case. Some daughters have absent fathers or abusive fathers or passive fathers. In my life, my dad did the best he could, but he had a really difficult childhood that bled out into how he fathered me. But I have good news. We have the perfect Father. He really is the only one who can answer our heart’s deepest questions and fill our soul’s deepest longings.
So tonight, I want to remind you — whether you’re missing your earthly father, still processing wounds he imparted on you, or basking in gratitude for his love — I want to remind you that you also have a forever Father who adores you. This is what He says about you:
“You are precious and honored in my sight, and I love you.” -Isaiah 43:4
“Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you.” -Jeremiah 1:5
“You are my masterpiece.” -Ephesians 2:10
“Nothing will separate you from my love.” -Romans 8:38–39
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me — watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” -Jesus (Matthew 11:28–30)
“I will never leave you or forsake you.” -Deuteronomy 31:6
“I will be a Father to you and you will be my sons and daughters.” -2 Corinthians 6:18
Ask God to show you His love. Ask Him to show you what type of Father He is. Ask Him to answer your deepest questions. Ask Him to fill your deepest longings. Continue to pour your heart out to Him. He loves you so very much and He delights in lavishing His love on you personally. You can trust Him with your heart.
Joyfully,
Lauren
