I instruct you in the way of wisdom
and lead you along straight paths.
When you walk, your steps will not be hampered;
when you run, you will not stumble.- Proverbs 4:11-12
When I was little, my Dad moved to Canada first to prepare the house for Mom and I while I finished off my grade 2 school year. I love my Dad, and we were inseparable on our adventures - thick as thieves. So the experience of being apart from him for half a year was excruciating. I missed my Dad every moment of every day, but I knew he was always thinking of me and was off in another part of the world, loving me and caring for me in a different way. For Father's day, Dad recorded a cassette of him going about his day for father's day weekend. Telephone communication was expensive, and video calls were non-existent, so we relied on letters and any other form of communication that can be sent through mail. In the tape, he encouraged me, made me laugh and appreciate experiences and people I have. He prepared me for a great life in the future in Canada, communicated how much he loved me, gave me instructions on how to be a person of integrity, and how to be resilient as I am confronted by challenges. He found a way to be "present" for me. We were apart, and the absence pained me, but his love was shining through every word he spoke. And I knew, far away, he was also lovingly preparing a home to welcome me to my new life.
This past weekend was Father's Day and it is the first year I celebrated Father's Day without my Dad on earth. He passed away last year and I miss him dearly. As I listened to this tape he gave me when I was a child, I came to a realization that my experience apart from my Dad back then helped me understand my relationship with my Father in heaven. Our Heavenly Father loves us unreservedly. He is ever present, even when we feel apart from him. He is preparing us for a life beyond this one and He is instructing us to keep our eyes focused on the beautiful life that is to come, that He has prepared for us in His love. In fact, He has taken such great care in his instructions, and messages, and life lessons that we can feel fully support as His child, and fully confident in the life we live. Yes, there will be struggles in life, but they are struggles that God will support us through. He clears the path for us to the way we need to go and when we run, we will not stumble. Though we are apart, there will be a day when we are so joyous to be reunited with our Father in heaven. Our Father loves us. He will find ways to send us messages to tell us so.
All we have to do is to take time, and listen.
Father loves you.
Reflection: Take a moment to pray and give thanks to our Father in heaven. Pray for guidance, wisdom, and instruction.
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As we continue from Father's Day weekend, we can use the opportunity to also dive in on a devotion on Fatherly Love when we think of our relationship with our Father in Heaven. We offer Christian worship music, hymns, and instrumental music along with blogs to help you on your journey in your faith.