A Father's Love

About a week ago or so, I remember being totally stressed out. So stressed, that it started affected me physically too. It wasn’t even something in the present. It was something in the future, that might happen and probably might not too (like most future worry things). But the point is, I was totally stressed.

I remember having a conversation with my parents sometime around the same time and though I hate to get them worried about me, I really needed to talk it out.  I remember telling this to my Mom, while Dad just stood in the background and listened. He didn’t say anything, just listened. No solutions, No advice… Just listening. I even thought at a point if he was even listening, cause there was no response or reaction from him. Anyways, I felt a little better for a little while, after being able to talk things out a bit.

I remember waking up the next morning feeling all bright and chirpy, happy and light. I remember working at the kitchen and just singing away. I suddenly realised I was feeling really happy and didn’t feel very stressed or nervous anymore. And I immediately knew – Somebody had been praying for me. And after the conversation I had with my parents the previous day, I thought it must be them. I just felt so relaxed and happy regardless of whatever the future may hold, I just felt confident and strong.

There was this verse that specially helped put things into perspective for me. Proverbs 31: 25 -‘She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future’.

So about a week or so later, I shared with Mom about how the very next day after speaking to them I had begun to feel relaxed and confident. I knew they had been praying, of course. But what Mom said really touched my heart. She told me that after Dad had quietly listened to me, he prayed for me. She said how he had prayed. She said when he was praying for me, he had tears running down his eyes. He was crying as he prayed for me. Though he stood quietly and listened, he was just so hurt by what I shared and decided to take them to the presence of God.

I always know I am very loved by my Dad and special to him, but that day, I just felt so much loved and special and just so awesomely valuable. How awesome to have someone in your life who loves you this much. So much that your smile can just make his world beautiful. So much that your problems can bring tears running down his face. How awesome to be loved this much!!

More than anything this kind of love increases your self worth. It makes you realise how valuable and special you really are. To have someone love you this much.

And then God spoke to me and I realised that it’s true I have an amazing loving Dad. But what is truer is the fact that God’s love for me was far greater than my Dad’s love for me. The Bible says in Ephesians 3:18 – ‘how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ’.

He loves me so much that he would give his life for me. My smile lights up his face. My sadness breaks his heart. How awesome to be loved this much by my Heavenly Father.

My parents always taught me to read the bible and pray. As I grew older I have had my own ways of connecting to God, besides my regular prayer time. Of course this makes God happy. But more than what it does to God, I love it for what it does to me. Every time I connect with God, I am reminded of how much I am loved. It makes me realise my true value and increases my self worth. And a person, who knows what they are worth, would handle life in a strong effective, powerful, healthy, good way. I think this is what God wants too. He knows what it does to us, to stay connected to Him. To be aware of His love and be connected to His love.

This is what Christianity is all about, isn’t it. It’s not a religion. It’s about a Father’s love for His children. It’s about staying connected to Him and enjoying and basking in His great love for us. It would be so dumb to have someone love me this much and to not even be aware of it or to not have a relationship with this person.

I’m so so grateful to have a dad like mine, but what I’m more grateful about and can never thank God enough for, is to have a Heavenly Father like ours. And to know Him and have Him in my life.

Ephesians 3: 18 – ‘…how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,’