Yesterday at church, our worship leader stopped to speak to the congregation about spending time talking to the Father. God wants us to be quiet at times and listen to Him, and then there are times when God wants to hear us talk to Him. The church began to talk to God, began to enter into worship by talking to our Father (yes we are a spirit filled church so things can get a little loud sometimes). As I stood in God's presence, I began to speak to Him about being His daughter. I began to want to be His daughter and know what and how to be His daughter. I've never thought about this for long, but as I stood there in His presence, tears began to fall down my face as I realized what that really meant. Sure I know that I am a daughter of the king. But yesterday I started to think hard on what that meant. What it meant to be His daughter.
You see, I compare a lot of what goes on in the spiritual realm to my earthly experience here physically. I had a very loving father, although it was not shown to me with physical touch or even words of affirmation or encouragement. My dad was one of those men that was very hands off. He used to even say that he told my mom that he loved her when he married her and if he changed his mind he would let her know. He didn't believe that he should have to say it everyday. He believed that actions spoke louder than words, and that words can be so empty sometimes. So, instead he showed his love by provision and protection. Now don't get me wrong, if I had a problem and needed to talk, my dad was there to listen and he would tell us that he was proud of us when he was. But when he did, we knew it was true. My dad just didn't feel us up with empty words that didn't match his actions. What my dad said was from the heart. My dad would still go to the end of the world for me. If I needed him to protect me from harm, he would. If I needed financial support, he would provide. He would never want to see me suffer or hurt or be in pain.
I started to compare God to these actions. I stood in church and started to see God as my earthly father was for so long. As a child, my dad would never throw me into a burning fire and tell me to walk through it to get to the other side and hope for the best. The only way my dad would tell me to go through it was if he knew that it was better on the other side. And even then, my dad would be right there with me to walk me through it (or run), holding my hand the whole time, or carrying me close to his chest, trying to protect me from the flames of the fire. Yes, I may get burned in places and have a few spots when I got to the other side of the burning fire, but my dad would gladly take the entire consumption of the flames for the safety of his daughter.
Our God is like this. Sometimes we are faced with "burning fires" in our life. But, God doesn't expect us to go through it by ourselves and then report back to Him and let Him know how hot the fire was or how many burns we got along the way. No, He is there to walk with us through it, even carry us through it so that we aren't in harm of being consumed by it and dying from it.
Yesterday I saw God holding my hand, as His daughter, and walking me through this fire (and believe me I have been through some fires in my life).
I want to know and learn how to be a daughter to the Father of all Fathers. I want to know how to raise my own children so that their "grandpa" will be proud of them. I want to have my Father's acceptance and approval, and yes, discipline.
I have known, loved and served God for a very long time, but yesterday I saw a different role, a different characteristic, a different walk that I must take with Him.
I was reading the other night in a book, and it spoke about myrrh and how it is not pretty to look at. It is bush-like and not pretty to look upon and it even has a bitter taste to it if you were to put it in your mouth. BUT, if you take myrrh and crush it, it puts off the most beautiful fragance. The more it is bruised and crushed, the louder the fragrance that it puts off.
Sometimes we have to be bruised and crushed until a fragrance comes off of us. Sometimes we have to go through a really big fire and get bruised up a bit so that we come out smelling better. And, then when we walk into a room, people will know that we have been in the presence of God because of the fragrance that comes off of us. It will be recognizable.
I want to thank God for my earthly Father and for blessing me with an example to look at and compare and learn from. My dad is the best dad in the world and I love him more than words can express.
I continue to want to be the best daughter to my earthly father and to my heavenly Father. I want to continue to grow to be the woman of God that I am meant to be. I want to radiate with a fragrance that draws others to me and makes them wonder what it is "I am wearing". I don't WANT to be crushed and bruised and hurt, but if it means that I get closer to the characteristics of the Father and I come out "smelling" better, then I am open to whatever God takes me through...because I know that my heavenly Father will be right there, holding my hand, shielding me with His arms and body, carrying me when I can't walk and getting me through to the other side so that I can shine for Him.
Teach me, O God, how to be the best daughter a dad could ask for, one that makes you proud to call me your own, and one that shows the characteristics of her father in the most useable and loving way.
I love you dad.
Your Daughter,
Jennifer
