A True Father

By Andrea Merrell

 

Now hope does not disappoint, 

because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts

by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Romans 5:5 NKJV

My father never wanted children, so we didn’t have much of a relationship. He and my mother divorced when I was twelve, and he moved out of my life. For good.

When I went to live with my grandparents, my grandfather—who had quite the temper— was of the opinion that children should be “seen and not heard.” As long as I behaved perfectly around him, everything was fine. One tiny misstep and … well, you get the picture.

Rejected by my biological father and never able to measure up to the unrealistic expectations of my grandfather, I never felt safe or good enough. Putting my trust in men did not come easily. Growing up, I often admired (and maybe envied) others who had a wonderful father.

My heart was empty and searching for approval until God poured out his unconditional love and acceptance on me and showed me the attributes of a true father. At last, my heart found its home.

Over the past forty-plus years, I have watched my husband be that wonderful father and grandfather to our family that I always longed for. What a blessing to watch God’s unconditional love in action.

We never have to perform to receive God’s approval. It’s there for us regardless of how we feel or how we behave. All we have to do is receive it.

Whether you were raised with or without a loving earthly father, look to God as the ultimate father … your daddy, your Abba ... your heavenly Father who loves you more than you can ever comprehend.

He is a true Father.

(Photo courtesy of Blogpiks.com and FreeDigitalPhotos.net/Stuart Miles.)

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We never have to perform to earn God’s love or approval. All we have to do is receive it. via @AndreaMerrell (Click to tweet.)

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