I had another topic in mind as I went to write this, however since fatherhood is all so new to me I am compelled to write about my baby girl again. An amazing thing about my daughter is that life is so new for her. It is not often you get to see someone forming their beliefs and expectations from the start. The way a new baby learns to process life before all the brokenness of the world gets in the way, is taking me back to the start of where I think faith should begin, back to the simplicity of a parent and a child. My daughter’s new identity is being shaped by her perception of my attitude towards her. As I am learning how to love her, God is calling me back to an identity formed by His attitude towards me.
One thing you will quickly notice about my child is that she is so alert, she is always looking, reaching, touching, and tasting as she tries to take in the world around her and put all the information together. Though her understanding is very limited you can see that she is beginning to recognize something… her mommy and daddy! Although she does not fully grasp who I am, she does know that when she is upset and frightened, she will find me kind and caring. She knows that when I greet her in the morning she can expect a warm hug and a goofy grin… she may even get the daddy dance! She may not wholly know why, but being in the presence of her mommy and daddy brings her a feeling of contentment and well being. Her experiences with us are teaching her that we can be trusted. As I hold her in my arms, she will reach out her hand to touch my face; she searches out my eyes and just seems to get lost in the discovery of how it feels to be loved.
As I sit and hold my daughter I softly sense the voice of the Father calling me to be His child. He is inviting me to crawl into His lap and curl-up in His arms, to reach for His face and to get lost in His eyes as I discover how it feels to be loved. Though I may not fully grasp all the mysteries of who God is, I can know that He is my daddy and I am safe in His arms… I think this is a great place to restart the journey of knowing Him!
One thing you will quickly notice about my child is that she is so alert, she is always looking, reaching, touching, and tasting as she tries to take in the world around her and put all the information together. Though her understanding is very limited you can see that she is beginning to recognize something… her mommy and daddy! Although she does not fully grasp who I am, she does know that when she is upset and frightened, she will find me kind and caring. She knows that when I greet her in the morning she can expect a warm hug and a goofy grin… she may even get the daddy dance! She may not wholly know why, but being in the presence of her mommy and daddy brings her a feeling of contentment and well being. Her experiences with us are teaching her that we can be trusted. As I hold her in my arms, she will reach out her hand to touch my face; she searches out my eyes and just seems to get lost in the discovery of how it feels to be loved.As I sit and hold my daughter I softly sense the voice of the Father calling me to be His child. He is inviting me to crawl into His lap and curl-up in His arms, to reach for His face and to get lost in His eyes as I discover how it feels to be loved. Though I may not fully grasp all the mysteries of who God is, I can know that He is my daddy and I am safe in His arms… I think this is a great place to restart the journey of knowing Him!
'Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God' - John 1:12
