Let’s talk about fathers and what they bring to the table. As a little girl in elementary school I was often teased on the school bus. Not being familiar with the word bullied, we called it teasing. Regardless of the word used, I was being treated in a way that made me feel uncomfortable. I recognized if I told my father the situation would be taken care of. Anytime something wasn’t right, I could count on my dad to handle it. I never discerned or cared how he handled the situation. The mere act of telling him my woes made me feel better.
The same kind of relationship with the Heavenly Father is available to those who are born again. He doesn’t have to tell us how He will handle our request; just telling Him will make us feel better. Our faith in God allows us to leave our troubles with Him. We have the confidence that He hears us and will answer. We don’t have to worry about the details because we trust that our Heavenly Father’s love for us will move Him to act on our behalf.
I didn’t identify it as a little girl, but I was demonstrating faith in my natural father. I had confidence that he would handle any situation and I didn’t focus on the solution. I had done my part by telling dad. Once my concerns were expressed, I could rest in his love for me, confident that he would act in my best interest.
After I was married, I prayed asking God for girls and that they would have a strong relationship with their dad. I wanted our daughters to have the same daddy-daughter experience I had enjoyed growing up. God answered my prayer far beyond anything I could have predicted. One of the great joys in my husband’s life was being a dad. He treated our daughters like royalty and they enjoyed many great moments with him. My challenge was teaching them responsibility because their dad desired to do everything for them. We often discussed my wish to prepare them for adulthood while he wanted them to always be his little girls.
Not being a dad, I couldn’t understand the logic behind his thinking. But being a daughter I understood that even as an adult, daughters always feel like daddy’s little girls. We always want to bring our cares and concerns to our dads. The impact of a good father in the life of his children is invaluable. My husband, our daughter’s father left us on June 20, 2018 but the love he poured into them will never diminish. How do I know this? My father has been absent from this earth for nearly 30 years and I’m still living out the many things I learned from him.
It doesn’t matter how old we are, we can always bring our cares and concerns to our Heavenly Father. If you didn’t have a good earthly father, God your Father is there for you. Maybe like me and my daughters your earthly fathers are no longer alive, but Father God promise never to leave us. We can rest in His love knowing He will cover and protect us always.
Would you please share a memory of your father?
Evelyn Johnson-Taylor Ph.D.
To learn more about Dr. Taylor
Remembering my dad and husband this Father’s Day.
Bishop Martin Luther Johnson 12/04/1908 – 09/10/1990
Pastor Scott Barry Taylor 09/23/1959-06/20/2018