Dad’s love.
Jesus said this is how we should pray. “Our Father…” STOP RIGHT THERE! Somewhere else he said if we did not become like little children, we would never see the kingdom of God. This idea of God being our Father is crucial and central! I think it matters how we address Him. How do kids address their dads? What kind of emotion do kids have toward their dads? Before we go on with the rest of Jesus’ prayer I think we have to get this part right. Our dad… Hey dad… Daddy… Yo, dad! I love you dad. If you have had a good dad on earth, you have a pretty good idea what I’m talking about. If your dad experience has been rough, you’ll have to dig a little deeper to remember the kind of feeling you really had toward your dad before things went wrong. Truth is, nobody has had a perfect dad so all of our concepts about our heavenly dad are distorted to one degree or another. But our earth dads are really only stepping stones to our true dad; the one that John says gives us our real birth and identity. (john 1:12) Our earth dads are, well, step-dads. They show us by how we feel in our innocence toward them when we were really little. I think that is why Jesus said we have to become like little children. Only little children know the daddy kind of love without all the complications that sin (father’s and children’s) produces as we get older. Can you remember just yelling to your dad, “Hey dad, watch!” or jumping up in his big strong arms and nuzzling his burly neck as he hugged you and you each said, “I love you.”? Some of us have to go way back to get that memory, that feeling. I guess some have almost never had it in the physical. However, I still believe it is there. If you are one who can’t recall that innocent daddy love, I pray that His spirit will wash over you right now as you read this. Jesus said that this is eternal life, “that you may know the Father and his son, Jesus Christ.” This innocent, intimate loving exchange is the foundation to real living and all the truth, wisdom, and doctrine in this life. I’m a dad. I freely confess that I have not been to good at it. There are many who have been and are much better representatives of God than me. I can only say to my children, ones who I have failed, that I have never been more than a step dad, just like mine was and his before that. When you look for your “Daddy in Heaven”, He will find you and fill in all the holes left by this or other earthly dads’ love. I hope this makes some sense for you. Love, Dad, Fred, Mr. p |
The DoorpostThe Doorpost is written for the family and friends of Fred / Papa / Dad Paddock in response to this admonition found in Deuteronomy 6:6-9: These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the door posts of your houses and on your gates and emails.
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