Daddy's little girl.
As a kid growing up, Father’s day was always hard from me. While other kids were happily making macaroni cards and writing out redeemable coupons for car washes, I would do the same, but knew that my dad would never get it.
My parents were divorced when I was quite young and my father was absent for the better part of my life. I don’t have memories of sitting on my “daddy’s” lap while he read me a story or going to baseball games or looking up to a man that I thought was my hero. My father was simply not that person.
Because of decisions my father made, life was not easy for my mother and me. For a single, immigrant mother, providing for a young daughter was difficult, so I acquired the responsibility to work at an early age.
As I got older my relationship with my father changed. I had opportunity to meet him more frequently but our times together were stilted and awkward.
I remember as a young woman and young Christian mourning the daddy I would never have. I remember a pastor saying to me,
"God is your Father.”
I thought the man was out of his mind.
I replied, “No, God is not my father. God is God and my father is … well, he’s neither.”
I went home discouraged, lonely and completely misunderstood.
That night I grabbed my Bible and allowed the pages to fall where they may. The pages fell open to Psalm 68 (honestly, I can’t make this stuff up). I read these words:
Sing praises to God and to his name!
Sing loud praises to him who rides the clouds.
His name is the Lord—
rejoice in his presence!
Father to the fatherless (Psalm 68: 4-5 NLT)
It was just a coincidence and so I flipped the pages of my Bible again and there in John 16, Jesus says:
"For the Father himself loves you dearly" (John 16:27 NLT).
With tears in my eyes, I cried out to God.
And in my spirit I heard “Mona, I am your Father. I will never leave you and never forsake you. You are my little girl and I have always been there for you. I was there when you sang in the choir and I was there when you were the lead in the musical. I was there cheering you on. When you are lost in indecision, I guide you. Your earthly father may have let you down but I have always been there and I always will be.”
Today, Father’s Day does not have a sting. I am grateful for the strong, loving, kind men in my life. Dear men that have guided and loved me. I am grateful for the man I married and the amazing ‘daddy’ he is to our children. And I am grateful that I have a heavenly Father. For that I am immensely blessed!
*******************
Join us this Sunday, as we conclude our series entitled WE're Different! In honour of Father's Day, I have a little gift for all the men (young and old).
Please Come!