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.
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.
No comments:
Post a Comment