A Father's Love

A Father’s Love

My dad and I have had a tumultuous relationship, but when I was a little girl I thought he hung the moon!  He was my very favorite person to hang out with. I can remember sitting in the bathroom while he shaved in the morning amazed as he lathered his face with an old timey brush and mug and then carefully scraped the hair from his face. He would then shake a dollop of old spice in his hands to smooth over his clean shaven face. He always finished with a quick brush on my cheeks of his left over after shave! I loved that smell. To this day when I catch a whiff of it, it brings back such happy memories!

Another of my favorite activities was riding in the car with daddy. He would let me jump in beside him—way before the days of child safety seats and seat belts—and he would carefully hold me with his arm as we drove around the countryside.  We always ended up at my uncle’s store for a chocolate soldier drink for me!  There was nothing better than being held by daddy’s arms. It was the safest place in the world.

That’s the same way I feel when I’m being held by Jesus.  When I’m reading my Bible, having a talk with Him, or just being still in His presence, I have such a sense of safety and love and utter peace about me. There is NO love like the love of the Father.

1 John says, “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.” (1 John 3:1 NIV)  There is no greater love. We can think that we understand it, but there is no possible way to understand the height, depth, or breadth or God’s love for us. Some of my favorite times are the times I spend at His feet in awe of His presence.  Do you allow yourself time for that? I promise you if you are feeling distant from God it’s because you moved, not Him.  Move closer to God today. Spend time talking to Him like the friend He is. I promise you won’t be disappointed!