The Father’s Reassurance

My tax accountant was a group leader for me years ago when I worked with college students. He was in my life weekly during the time when our youngest was born and I was just starting to learn about being a dad. I was a sponge for encouragement and mentoring, so one day, he talked about his experience as a dad.  It really made an impression on me because I knew his kids and loved how they responded to him.

“Every night when I tucked them in, I would tell them the same thing:  ‘You’re a neat kid!’  I wanted them to know that I was for them and that, even on the hardest days, their dad thought the world of them.”

I started doing that when I tucked my boys in at night.  I wasn’t trying to make them think they were invincible, omni-talented, or that they were the center of the universe.  It was just obvious to me that the common denominator for every human being is that we’re all insecure.  I wanted to help them know how much they mattered to me.  I still want that, and I find many teachable moments where I can wade into their joy or pain and remind them that God made something wonderful when He made them.

While God is quite clear on who is worthy of worship and who the worshipper should be, He also speaks tenderly to His children throughout scripture.  Sometimes, that tenderness is discipline, but often it’s a reminder of His promise, His grace, His sovereign plans, and the confident hope of His deliverance.  I have always found great comfort in the knowledge that the Creator of the universe knows my name, gave His son for me, and is with me wherever I may be (Psalm 139).  It’s the Father’s reassurance that gives me courage, and as a dad, I find myself LONGING to be able to affirm my own kids.  Even in their adulthood, I look forward to those opportunities to remind my grown sons of my affection.

Have you allowed your Heavenly Father to have your ear today?  Maybe you need to be reminded that you are on HIS radar, even on days when He isn’t really on yours.