"I Love You, My Daddy"

"I love you, my Daddy!" is a sweetly spoken phrase my granddaughter has started saying to her father. It sounds so special and sweet that she could probably get away with just about anything using that phrase. But she also often accompanies it with kisses...melting all hearts in range...

I thought about this unique expression of hers. She says it most of the time spontaneously, and not to get around discipline. She says it when she sees her daddy come in to the house. She says it when he leaves in the truck. She also says a similar phrase to her mom and brothers. She always includes the "my" and tacks on the relationship status.

I am not sure where she picked up this little habit. None of her friends or any family members use it. It seems to be something that came straight from her little heart.

The more I hear those words, the more meaningful they are. A little child, just three years old, is expressing spontaneously her love of family, marking ownership of each one.

I need to do that with God. I need to say "I love you, MY God!" Even better, "I love You, MY Father!" AND even better, "I love You, MY Daddy!" My relationship with Him needs to grow more intimately daily. I need to find delight in His prescence and comfort in His embrace. I need to need Him just like my little girl! I need to declare Him as MINE! And to know Him so intimately that calling Him "Daddy" seems completely right.

I know most of us had imperfect earthly fathers. Mine was among the better one.s, but even so, lacked ability to completely meet my needs and extend comfort and help. He lacked the ability to understand my needs. He lacked the desire to really get to know me as a unique person. But my Heavenly Father does not!

Too many fathers have hurt and abused. Sometimes it was intentional, stemming from their own pain and struggles with their own demons. Sometimes, it was unintentional. An unkind word spoken harshly in a tense moment; A half-hearted reply or reaction to something of significance in our lives; a word intended to be used as a joke...all these can have lasting impact on our vision of a father. And we tend to interject that vision upon God.

We must know this: He is NOT a man that He should lie, be violent, or hurt us in any way, intentional or not. God is incapable of failing us. He can only LOVE to the greatest degree. He cannot speak harsh words of irritation. He cannot ignore our significant moments because He created them