A Daddy's love

       As I reflect on this past year and the anniversary of a great loss, I am reminded of a couple I met a few years ago. I got a call late one night about a couple traveling through Alabama. They lived in Florida but had traveled to another state to pick up a family member and take them for treatment at a hospital up north. They had loved and supported this family member for 3 weeks then dropped them back home and were headed home themselves. When they reached Alabama, the husband began to feel sick and died suddenly. The wife was here miles away from family and church, alone in a small country hospital. I went to meet with her to be with her during this time of shock and grief. We talked about her relationship with her husband, arrangements that needed to be made, and her fears. She was in shock. In the midst of it all there was one thing she knew, one thing she could hold on to. Her daddy was coming. She knew when he got there he would take care of things. 'He will make decisions'. 'He is good at that'. She told me. What faith. What a foundation of a love relationship to stand on that her 'daddy' had given her.

       What a beautiful lesson for us on dealing with life. We have a daddy who loves us and He wants us to lean on Him to comfort us, give us wisdom, and guide us in life. Some of my favorite scriptures below show the heart of the Father. He delights and rejoices over us, calls us into relationship with Him, and longs to be gracious to us. Today I am reminded to trust in, rest in, and get in tune with the heart of our Father and to be still, expect, look and long for Him so He can poor out His presence on us.

Isaiah 30:18

¹⁸ And therefore the Lord [earnestly] waits [expecting, looking, and longing] to be gracious to you; and therefore He lifts Himself up, that He may have mercy on you and show loving-kindness to you. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are all those who [earnestly] wait for Him, who expect and look and long for Him [for His victory, His favor, His love, His peace, His joy, and His matchless, unbroken companionship]!

Zephaniah 3:17
He will take great delight in you;
but will rejoice over you with singing.”

1 Cor 1:9 God calls us into fellowship.

My prayer for you is that today you may see the heart of the Father, understand His great love for you, and how much He longs for fellowship with each of us.