Why Me?

I have an awesome dad. He’s always been loving, supportive, and available. (And he rocked some seriously sweet sideburns in the 70s! See photo proof above…) He was deeply involved in our lives and activities when we were growing up, and he’s still an integral part of our lives and activities today. Is he perfect? Nope. But he’s a high-quality reflection of the love that God has for His children. He’s made it easy for me to have a loving relationship with my Heavenly Father.

There have been times when I’ve felt guilty for having a close relationship with my dad. I’ve kept quiet about how awesome he is. Why? I have dear friends whose fathers weren’t loving. They weren’t supportive. They were abusive or absent. They left deep scars, both emotionally and spiritually.

It makes me ask WHY. Why do I have a dad who made memories of childhood so sweet? Why do my friends have dads who left them wanting to forget their growing-up years?

Some would say I’m blessed with a great father. If that’s the case, are my friends simply not blessed? While I do consider my dad one of the greatest blessings in my life, I’m hard-pressed to say that my friends weren’t blessed simply because they did not have great dads. I don’t think that God just picks and chooses who to bless with wonderful parents.

Instead, I believe that all dads were designed by God to be fabulous fathers. In this fallen world, sin has taken its toll. That’s oh-so evident in today’s families. Many dads who were destined for greatness in their families were instead broken as children. They were caught in sin’s grasp and didn’t know how to get out. They didn’t have someone pointing the way back to godliness and wholeness.

So why me? Why did I end up with an amazing dad? I don’t know. But I do know this. I’m going to gather up all the things that my dad taught me and use them to love on my friends who are hurting. I’m going to point them back toward their Heavenly Father who simply adores them.

Fortunately my dad likes meeting and hanging out with my friends. Because whenever possible, I’m going to share both my earthly daddy and my Heavenly Daddy with them.