Dedicated to the Fatherless
When I was a little girl, I longed to see my earthly father, who died two months before I was born. I knew it wasn’t possible, but I still dreamed about meeting him one day.
I can remember being awestruck the first time I watched the Rogers and Hammerstein musical Carousel on television. It’s a story about a carnival barker, Billy, who falls head over heels in love with Julie, a mill worker, and eventually marries her.
A child is conceived from this relationship but Billy is killed in a knife fight and doesn’t have the opportunity to watch his daughter, Louise, grow up. Louise becomes an angry, rebellious teen who misses having a father in her life, until one day, he’s allowed to come back to earth to see her. There’s a beautiful scene at Louise’s high school graduation when her father sings, “You’ll Never Walk Alone” to his daughter and tells her to have confidence in herself.
Remembering this movie, I searched longingly for my deceased father at my high school graduation but he never appeared. However, I later realized my Heavenly Father was there the whole time, holding my hand. He was with me throughout a dysfunctional childhood, helped me survive life with a shell-shocked mother, and he is here with me today.
If you grew up fatherless, know God the Father is also with you. Psalm 68:5 says “A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.”
Throughout my life, my Father in Heaven issued holy discipline, directed my path, and provided love when I felt unloved. Even though I strayed away many times, my Heavenly Father waited patiently for his prodigal daughter until I finally came to the conclusion that I can’t live this life without Abba Daddy. Now, I can’t go a day without spending time with him.
Have you ever embraced the love of your Heavenly Father? He loves you with an immeasurable love. 1 John 3:1 says, “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us that we should be called children of God!”
If God is absent from your life, today’s the day. This Father’s Day, tell your Abba Daddy that you want Him to join you on your journey, and you don’t want to walk alone anymore. Confess all of your wrongdoing to him, and ask him to live in and through you from this day forward. Then, just rest in your Father’s arms.
“You’ll Never Walk Alone”
When you walk through a storm
Hold your head up high
And don’t be afraid of the dark.
At he end of the storm
Is a golden sky
And the sweet silver song of a lark.
Walk on through the wind,
Walk on through the rain,
Tho’ your dreams be tossed and blown.
Walk on, walk on
With hope in your heart
And you’ll never walk alone,
You’ll never walk alone.
Beautifully written. Touching sentiment. He’s a good, good Father!