Knowing love begins with humanity. The hands that holds an infant. The tender care as baths are given and food supplied.
The love of a father and mother is the way God intended and created man and woman to provide as they replenish the earth.
But brokenness happened as man and woman reached for the fruit. The tempter enticing woman to reach, not to destroy man, but to destroy God's breath of life within them and us. Satan wants nothing more than to get at God and he did by enticing the creation of God.
Life was perfect. Love was pure.
Until.
Satan came and enticed the created beings that held the very life-breath of God.
Man, fathers, women, mothers, now offer a love that never completely satisfies and sometimes is very distorted and corrupt.
God is a Father whose love is still pure, wholly and completely pure. He is faithful in His love and nothing you or I will do, will ever change that. He gives it freely.
My own father's love was not wholly divine. His own story tainted it. But he loved. He gave, and to my family as we lived a number of hours away, he'd make sure they would come and visit and when he left, he hid candy among the curtains, on a ledge, behind an object and so on.
Before he left, he would inform our sons how many pieces were hid and as they drove away, feet would run and the search began.
Treasures. Candy. Sweet. Gifts from his heart to ours.
God gives us treasures that we can search for, hidden among the 'curtains', on the ledges of life, up high in the air, or under the rocks of hard and pain. God's love is scattered all around us... let's go on a search.
To earthly fathers ---
A father's love looks like a dependence on God as he leads his family, pointing us to Jesus when life is hard and doesn't make sense and even when it does make sense, reminding us who Jesus is.
A father's love is the strength he gives and the steadiness when the winds of life hit.
A father's love is the tender touch, the stooping down to help in a moment of need.
A father's strength is sometimes embodied in the tenderness of tears, the stroke of comfort, and the understanding of a story.
And sometimes, a father's love, is the warrior, fighting for truth and wielding the sword, which is the word of God as he combats the enemy of our soul.
You're meant to lead and be strong , but your strength is for the protection and benefit of those you love. It's not to coerce or to dominate, but to be a gentle strong. And in so many ways you're taught that gentleness is not manly. Let me tell you, that is not so. Sometimes your strength is actually the most kindest and gentlest of actions
Jesus stooped to heal, to speak words to the lame, to write words in the sand. Sometimes Jesus' strength was the words on a hillside, the walking on water. And most of all, it was the strength to give His life as looked to His Father and surrendered to the ultimate plan.
I'm grateful for the father I had who learned more of who Jesus is and to my husband who has the courage to stay with Jesus and lean into Him. And to my sons, may you learn more of Jesus and choose Him as you learn to be a gentle strong man.
Treasures. Gifts. From the Father above for each of us as we live and walk this one life we have.
Thank you, Jesus, for Your perfect and complete love, given freely and for each one of us.
Most of all fathers, God has got you, lean into Him as you live and lead in your world.
Lord,
Invite the men to Yourself. For in You, the men will have courage to rise up as needed. May they have the strength to lean into You when they feel less than and for the wisdom they need. May they recognize the enemy whispering to them that they are not enough and help them to fight against that because in You, they will receive their strength. Toughness is the enemy's tactic, for we fight when we are tough and want to protect. May the men have courage to be a vulnerable strong. Lead them, meet them and yes, woo them to Yourself, for in You they will have everything they need.
Thank you,
Your daughter, who fights for life
