Tip of My Iceberg

She appeared more mature than her seven years.

He was more delighted just because of the opportunity.

When Brooklyn went to a Father/Daughter dance at her school, she was the epitome of poise, excitement, and little-girl giggles. Her dad, Ramsay, was the picture of a proud papa.

In this day and age, parenting isn’t always honored, and fathers aren’t always present to inspire, encourage, and discipline their children.

I’m sure there were many students who were unable to go with their dads. Substitutes would have been appreciated–maybe a mom here and there, an uncle, a grandfather. Someone who would take a little girl and make her feel like a princess for an evening.

Dads hold a special place in the lives of their children. Traditionally seen as the breadwinner or decision-maker of the family, dads are, more often than not, working together as a team with moms to raise children in a tough world where messages are skewed and people are confused and despairing. It’s the gift of family that we all long for and yet so many have never fully experienced.

For some, a father is a memory only, and not always a pleasant one. Absent physically or emotionally, many fathers have focused more on things other than family and tenderheartedly caring for their kids.

My dad was a great father–not perfect, but present and compassionate. What all four of us kids learned was the value of having someone available to listen to what we had to say, someone who freely loved us with words and hugs.

God shows Himself to be a Father, first to the Jewish nation, and then to those who would believe in His Son, Jesus. God revealed Himself to the Israelites as their heavenly Father in Deuteronomy 14:1: “You are sons of the Lord your God.” This truth is developed more fully in the New Testament when Jesus comes and declares God as His Father and the Father of all who believe in Him as the Son.

He is a present and caring Father who hears the cries of those who genuinely seek Him.

Paul introduced an idea that had to have confused many. He referred to what happens when we believe in Jesus as our Savior.

“So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirt when He adopted you as His own children. Now we call Him, “Abba, Father.” omans 8:15

Once we accept a relationship with Jesus, we have the privilege of addressing God as Abba, a term Jewish children used when speaking to their Daddy or Papa–a deeply intimate connection that no other religion of the world would ever think to address their deity. He chooses to love us and adopt us as His own.

God the Father seeks to connect to our hearts with His heart. He invites us into a close relationship where He can show us unconditional love and acceptance.

It’s like the eternal Father/Child dance that allows us to be loved and to show love in return.

Held closely, loved greatly.

Isn’t that what we all long for?