I’m incredibly grateful for my father. My heart is filled with many good memories beginning from when I was a little girl. Daddy took me to my dance classes and my t-ball games and on adventurous rides through the mountains in our Jeep. He took me on hikes and taught me to appreciate God’s beautiful nature—especially the North Georgia Mountains.
With his gentle nature and caring heart, he taught me how to ride a bicycle. I can still visualize that day out on the fairgrounds when my daddy let go of the back of my small bicycle. Oh, the joy that rose up in my heart when I knew I could ride by myself.
He taught me how to swim and dive. I can remember that day perfectly as well. He would hold me underneath my tummy and show me how to kick my legs and move my arms. He would move his hands out from underneath me and I would swim a little further each time. And my first real dive, in the pool at Tampa, Florida was amazing as my daddy stood there cheering me on until I defeated my fear.
He taught me how to drive a five-speed car. That was funny. With his patient assistance, I finally learned how to shift the gears without screeching sounds. The fact that my daddy taught me so many things made the experiences so much better.
He took me on outings, just the two of us, when my heart needed the special touch of a father’s love. And even though we had some painful years when our family split apart, I’m thankful for those years, too, and I would not change any of the hard times. It was during the years after my parents divorced that I saw my daddy surrender to Christ and grow into an amazing man of God. I saw Christ’s transformative power working in a very real way that gave me a much stronger faith in God.
I am blessed beyond measure with a father who loves me and believes in me. He is one of my best cheerleaders in life and he speaks words of affirmation when I need encouragement. I would not be who I am today without having witnessed the realness of Christ shining through Daddy’s life. I will be forever thankful for all the ways my beloved daddy has shown me love throughout my life.
Happy Father’s Day!
Let this be a day of thanking God for the good fathers in our world. Most important of all, let us remember and rejoice in the fact that God is the PERFECT FATHER for everyone who is willing to receive His awesome gift of salvation. May God’s love fill the void in the hearts of the ones in need of a good father today.
