Daddy Loves You

I have never known the joy of hearing those three words spoken to me. My father left my mother on the night I was born and died when I was just 10.  I’ve longed to hear those words my entire life, and the closest I’ve gotten is hearing my husband say them to my children just about every day.

They know firsthand the security that accompanies a father’s love. While I can only experience that vicariously through them, they will never escape that reality. They are confident in their daddy’s love and I’ve never seen them question it. They believe in his love completely and they have no difficulty receiving it.

I lack that innate ability, and sometimes that makes receiving the Father’s love very difficult. In fact, one of my greatest struggles as a believer has been accepting His direct love for ME apart from His general love for us all. It has taken a great deal of work to begin believing that He wants me, accepts me and desires relationship with me, and for far too long I even questioned why He’d even bother.

I hear that my experience is exactly the sort of thing that happens when a girl doesn’t know her daddy. As I write, I’m wondering how many of you share my struggle and long to have your heart healed too. Maybe the idea of a Daddy who loves you is totally foreign to you as well. If so, hear me yelling, “The Father loves Y-O-U.” Just believe it. Take a leap of faith and accept that although you’re a mess and you miss it, He loves you. Don’t just take my word for it, hear Him saying it directly to you:

"I have loved you, YOUR NAME HERE, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself.  I will rebuild you, YOUR NAME HERE. You will again be happy and dance merrily with tambourines.” Jeremiah 31:3-4 NLT

Repeat that to yourself, write it on your mirror, tape it to your refrigerator and sow it into your heart. Your Daddy loves you fully and purposely and made you for Himself. He’s rejoiced in you since before you were born and longs to be with you forever. You might as well just face it. You are deeply loved. It’s a relentless love you’ll never escape, so just stop trying!

“What marvelous love the Father has extended to us! Just look at it--we're called children of God! That's who we really are.” 1 John 3:1 MSG

By the way, yes, that’s my husband and daughter cheesing it up in that photo. Their relationship inspires me to keep embracing Daddy’s love.

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