Daddy God

Alright, I've been chewing on this idea for a while, and it's time to swallow or regurgitate. I'm not sure whether blogging about it would be considered swallowing or regurgitating...I think it's regurgitating, but that's just gross. But swallowing is bereft of hope as a source of information...once it goes through the digestive tract, there isn't much left except the waste material, which we all know as crap. So with that shining visual image, let me get to the point!

I've been trying to be a follower of Christ for about 10 years. During those 10 years, I can't even begin to compute how many times I've heard about God being our 'Heavenly Father'. And it sounded good...but it really never 'clicked'. Like who uses the word 'Father' any more? Beaver? I mean, seriously, what does that actually mean? I also heard a couple times, the expression abba, which apparantly is Greek for 'daddy daddy', or something like that. That one never really took either. Sure it sounded novel. And I can see Beaver Cleaver using that one too...as a BABY!

I mean, look at this kid...does he really have a clue about what's going on?

What is my point even? I guess I'm trying to say that relating to God as my father/daddy wasn't really connecting on any level. Probably because I really didn't understand how to connect in a fatherly manner.

Now, I love my Earth dad for sure. But I can't say that we had an amazingly close relationship when I was growing up- he was gone a lot on weekends, playing music in bars, and I was a pretty introverted kid, hiding myself away in books and sports cards. God has really brought us much closer together over the past couple years, which I praise Him for, but before that there was more of a business/casual relationship between him and myself. And whether you had a really good dad-relationship or he was a raging abusive alcoholic, I would imagine that most people in our country are probably in the same boat- we don't live in a culture that teaches fathers how to be fathers, which means that most of us haven't really 'connected' with our dads.

So when we hear of God as our 'Father' or even our 'Daddy', it doesn't really mean much. It's a statement of fact, but in terms of registering on the radar of our hearts...well, it stops short. They are just words that are devoid of emotional meaning. Like instruction manuals (at least, so I've heard. I've never actually opened an instruction manual, for fear of losing my manhood).

My beautiful family

And then I had my own kids. BLAM! Talk about getting instant wisdom! Well, not instant...actually, it has been a daily journey over the past two and a half years. But becoming a father myself has really helped me to understand what we're talking about when we throw things around like 'Abba Father' and 'Love of the Father' and 'Our Heavenly Father'- I can relate to that now. I can see and feel how God loves me as a son because I have a son. Bingo! I get it now!

Obviously I'm not saying that one needs to have their own children to acquire this understanding for themselves. Because really, there are people that just shouldn't be reproducing. I'd assume that some probably think that about me. Well, guess what- it's too late! I have procreated! My plan for world domination is now in stage 2! Seriously though, my hope is to parlay what I've learned to others.... for free even! You get to read about how awesome kids are in terms of understanding Divine Fatherness, but without the messy diapers and sleepless nights and coughing-that-leads-to-puking episodes...and best of all, to make sure that not a single point is missed, I will be presenting my case in Vintage Victorian era 3-pt. Sermon Format!

Those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba Father"- Romans 8:14-15

Now let me make this very clear- I am not going to be approaching this daddy idea from the adolescent childview. Adolescents would be like, 'Hey Dad, you own all the cattle on a thousand hills, can I borrow the car and $20?'. And God would be like 'Clean your room, which in this case is your heart', and the adolescent would throw a tantrum and get grounded. Who wants to hear about that? Besides, a) I have no experience with adolescent children- well, that's not entirely true, Sara and I ran a group home for over a year...but those exeriences are best labeled as 'dysfunctional', and b) I myself am in fact grounded, so my response would be tainted with teenage 'wisdom' (read:bitterness) about the situation.

Besides, compared to a God of infinite wisdom and power, I'm not so sure that we even really get to adolescence...I think that we are always meant to be wide-eyed children, full of anticipation and wonder, with faith in the impossible and hearts that desire only to make our parents proud. And that is what God has shown me through my own children.

First off (this is point #1 for those of you who are not familiar with Vintage Victorian 3 pt. format), God is proud of our accomplishments. I've played drums for about 9 years, often in a church setting, and I've often struggled with what to say/feel when people told me I did a good job. I mean, it feels good to have people tell me that I did a good job, or that I sounded good...but then I'm thinking, 'well, I'm doing this for God, I shouldn't be accepting compliments, should I?', and then I feel like crap. Then we had Delaney and Shane...and let me just tell you that kids are black holes of discovery. It's like something new, every day, and they just want to tell you about it- they're so proud of themselves. And you know what? They get even more joy from sharing those experiences with us. I remember the first few times that Delaney went pee on the potty...she'd look up at me, this big smile on her face, beaming...she was so proud of herself, but even more so she just wanted to share that with me, as her daddy. And I beamed right back, because I was proud of her too, proud of what she was accomplishing. Her joy brings me joy. So now, when people tell me how good I sounded or whatever, I don't cringe, I don't feel shame or confusion. I say 'Thanks', and then I go to my Daddy in pride of my baby steps, and He beams with me. God created us, and He delights in us and what we do for Him.

2) (this is the second point)- God's heart hurts when we aren't affectionate with Him. Delaney has never been super affectionate (although she is definitely growing more in that direction, she still doesn't often spontaneously show affection). Now I love my daughter, and I know she loves me, even without the kisses. But it does make me sad when she spurns my requests for a kiss or a hug. It hurts me, you know? Because I just want to be as close to her as I can at all times, because I love her so much. And I think that God feels the same way about us. I mean, we can love God without being 'affectionate'...and it could still be a great relationship...but it isn't the same. There isn't that magic. Our relationship with the Lord will never be all it can be if we don't sponaneously give Him our kisses and affection.

Obviously, we can't 'kiss' God. I can't even tell you what I mean necessarily. I think it's different for each person, how we're affectionate with God. Just pray about it...I'll bet that Daddy God has something in mind, because He delights in us and wants to be affectionate with us.

Finally, (yes, this is the third point. If you haven't figured it out by now, then I just can't help you) God doesn't delight in our suffering. Let me show you via real-life example (a classic method used often in 3 pt. AND 4 pt. sermon formats, but not as often delved into in the 2 pt. Or Less format). Delaney has settled into a bed time routine now. Sara takes her down, reads a book or two, sings a song or two, then she comes to the bottom of the stairs and calls up to me 'she's ready for you' (she heard Sara say that once and she's said it ever since...it makes my heart smile every time). I go down and sing her a couple songs, and then I tell her good night, and she reciprocates, and we keep saying good night to each other until I'm out of the door. Between 7:30 and 8:00 each night, the Parks household rests in peace.

But it wasn't always this way. I have vivid memories of Delaney screaming for 'one more song', standing at the door, crying 'Daddy where are you?', trying to pull the door open, kicking the door, yelling...and I wanted nothing more than to go in there and wrap my arms around her and tell her it was going to be okay. I wanted to sing that one more song, to let her know that I was there and that I always would be. But I knew that wasn't what she needed. I knew that giving in during those moments would set precedent that would become daily more difficult and that I would become resentful as she increasingly ate into our evenings, wearing us out and bringing stressful nights to our home.

Now I'm not saying that God will become stressed out if we don't suffer. I am saying that God allows us to go through painful experiences for our own good. If we hadn't made those short term sacrifices, then Delaney would not have such a smooth bedtime routine now. If God didn't allow us to go through tough times, then we wouldn't become people of character, we wouldn't be able to stand before Him in His Holiness. And through every disaster we go through, I'm willing to bet all that I have that God is watching us, wanting more than anything to come to our rescue, knowing that He needs to let us go through it but wanting to be our comforter.

To me, the whole argument of 'how could a loving God allow so much suffering and evil in the world?' doesn't hold up. You want to call me sick for believing in a God that allows suffering, but yet what is the alternative? That random chance, or else natural selection, determines the course of suffering? That we live in a world governed by the survival of the strong? Where is the hope in that? Answer- there is no hope. There is no repreive. All then is pointless. Because humanity becomes merely then an animal, doomed to struggle to survive for our meager lives until we die.

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.- Matthew 6:24-29

I don't understand God all the time, and there are definitely questions I have about the Bible...but I know that God is there, is real, and loves me, and will work all things together for my good. Even when the world rages and thrashes in its death throes, I hold onto a stable, steady force that is beyond my control or understanding, yet reaches for me to bring me to safety. This is what fatherhood has taught me about Daddy God. It has completely rocked my world, and allowed me to view the eternal God in a comletely different way. He is not unapproachable...He wants us to come to Him, jump in to His arms, and snuggle with Him. He doesn't promise us ease...but we have safety in the arms of our Daddy.

Beaver Cleaver- http://www.michaelssword.blogspot.com/
Tombstone- http://www.cartoonstock.com/lowres/rjo0665l.jpg