“I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the LORD Almighty.” 2 Corinthians 6:18

Daddy’s Little Girl

This Father’s Day, for the first time in my life, I have no father to celebrate. Both my father and stepfather have passed away. I have no perfect card to find, no heartfelt gift to wrap, no favorite lasagna to prepare. Oh sure, there are other people I could do this for, but the men who raised me, who guided me, who provided for me and supported me as a youth, will not be seen again in this life.

They didn’t do everything right—and they’d be the first to admit it. They made life-changing choices that put our little family into a stomach-churning tailspin at various points. They were never the voice of wisdom when we could have used a strong, guiding hand. Neither of them was the “sit on Daddy’s knee and tell him all about it” type of man.

I was never Daddy’s Little Girl.

But I’m okay with it now. If I have suffered some kind of permanent damage due to their action or inaction, I’m not aware of it. My mom made up for any fatherly deficits with her strength, courage, kindness, and joy. She read to us, played with us, and taught us the stuff kids need to know. She, with the help of the heavenly Father, gave us an appreciation for beauty and caring and hard work with a good attitude.

Looking back, I could wish for a million different scenarios for my life—but I won’t do it. I will not place blame, I will not sink into complaining or ungracious behavior. I am the daughter, primarily and always, of the King of kings. I will place my trust firmly in God who saw me and formed me and planned good for me, who used my past to prepare me for today, for tomorrow. I will walk in this life as a woman loved by God. I will seek to know His kind intentions for the trials of those early days, and I will move forward in Him.

This is my declaration of intent for whatever remains of this life. “For in Him we live and move and have our being, as some of your poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring’” (Acts 17:28). As it turns out, I really am Daddy’s Little Girl!

“Father, we thank You for Your hand on our lives up until now. For earthly fathers that still live, bless them with Your presence, with a deeper walk with You, with a love for their families, and with all the attributes that belong to You. Thank You for mothers that fill in the gaps and do all they can to raise up their children in the way they should go. We thank You most of all for adopting us to be Your own. Amen.”