"A Perfect Father???"

First of all. . . . a very HAPPY FATHER'S DAY to all my Dad friends and family! You are loved, respected, admired and needed in many great ways!! Thank you for leading, loving and protecting what God has given you. May God bless each and everyone of you! :)

Now....on with the show!

I have thought really HARD and prayed really HARD about what this next Blog would be about. I guess the obvious would be to write about Father's Day being though it is. Honestly, I have struggled some with that concept...not really knowing what direction to approach it, dive into it, and tie it up in a nice neat little package. So not really knowing how this will turn out....I'll go with it and pray that God speaks to you in whatever way YOU may need.

Why did God give us Dads?

I believe that could be answered by saying - to be a reflection of Him. Who is God in our lives? Protector, Comforter, Provider, Guide, Authority, Forgiver, Faithful and most importantly..... Love. God has placed these very qualities, virtues, characteristics in the heart of every Dad ..... at times though not every Dad chooses to exhibit those very things as God would like. Dads are not God, therefore they are   human....making them susceptible to error, mistakes and failures.

I have a Dad and I know this Dad reads ALL of my Blogs too. I would love to sit and tell you that I have always had a perfectly perfect relationship with this Dad as well. In all honesty though....it isn't just perfectly perfect. Without bringing into light all the things that could be negative in regards to this father God has given me.....I will simply say - - I love him, I thank God for him, I know he loves me and most importantly he has been an example of God's true love to me as a child that grew into an adult. I can truly say that my earthly father HAS chosen to exhibit all those characteristics, mentioned above, and I know it is God who I thank for him doing so. My dad has had his faults - I have had my faults - but as imperfect as we are we still forgive, love and receive one another. In thinking of forgiveness.... I think of my FB status that says "I am reminded today that as God was the perfect sacrifice for our sins, He also was the perfect forgiver & FORGETTER of our sins as well! When he died & rose again He didNOT bring our sins back with Him, but rather removed AND forgot them once & for all....PAST, PRESENT & FUTURE they are ALL covered in His blood! :)" This reminds me of my Dad, in a small way, relating to me through God. As a child I can remember coming to him and saying "Daddy, I'm sorry." his reply would always be "What are you sorry about?" and I would tell him. What amazed me was that his reply was most often "It's ok....I forgive you. I never held that against you." and sometimes it was as if he didn't realize I had done anything wrong and seemed almost confused by me asking him to forgive me. In saying all of that ..... I believe that this could be how God can be viewed as well. We sin, we come and ask forgiveness, and God says "I forgive you....for I never held that against you." Remember your sins and mine are forgiven by Jesus' one time sacrifice. We are cleansed  through that sacrifice and are made new. 2Cor. 5:17 "Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a NEW creation. The old has passed away, behold the new is come." THIS APPLIES FOR CHRISTIANS AS WELL AND NOT JUST NEWBORN BELIEVERS!! God can make new AGAIN ..... not just once!! If you are a Christian and have slipped/fallen/strayed from what you know to be right and of God....do NOT be convinced that you are doomed and that God only makes new out of new believers!! That is un-true, un-Biblical and a downright lie from satan himself! He does make new.... whether you are a brand new baby christian, or a seasoned and established believer. Trust Him. For His timing is perfect. His will is secure. He rasies up again.....and again.....and again!

I know there may be those of you who are reading this and thinking well that's all fine and good for you, but my Dad was none of the above or my Dad was present sometimes in my life and other times not. I truly believe that God has given each of us the earthly father He wanted us to have. As I said, my relationship with my Dad isn't all perfect just as my husband's relationship with my own children is not perfect. But, I still believe that whomever that man God has placed in our lives (whether loving and kind or hard and callous) can be a very real instrument in our lives to mold and shape us into the very being God intended and created us to be. God can use the hard and tough just as much as He can use the soft and sweet to bring about His purpose. Will you trust Him to do that very thing in your life.....no matter what your relationship may look like with your earthly father? Would you thank God for the earthly father He has chosen to place in your life?

Above all - - we know and believe that God IS the PERFECT Father. He is the perfect example of true love, true forgiveness, true mercy, true grace......and the list goes on. Never ever doubt His love for you! He loves you with an everlasting love! Jeremiah 31:3. He restores us! Jeremiah 30:17. He heals us! Jeremiah 33:6. He forgives us our sins! Jeremiah 33:8. "This love is everlasting. Unchanging. Forever. We can each consider ourselves a loved person, NOT because of our circumstances or situations but simply because God loves us PERFECTLY, totally and eternally."

Take a moment to thank God today for the father He has placed in your life.....whether he be near or distant, kind hearted or hard. And if you look hard enough.... you just may see the very virtues God gave him to be that which you needed in your life! :)

Thank you God for giving me the earthly father for which you have provided. Though I do not always agree with, relate to and see eye to eye with, I still know He is who you want him to be .....  for me.
I love you Daddy! :)