The Joy of a Father

I wrote this a little over 10 years ago, but often find myself remembering the depth of the experience and reliving it to a degree just by reading it again. 



A couple nights ago, my four year old daughter (I have 6 kids from 4 to 20) asked if I wanted to watch her do a dance. She had one of her sisters put on a song for her, and she put on a little ballerina thingy over her pajamas. It was just the two of us in the family room while she danced for me, and the pride and the emotion, and the realization that all she wanted to do was bring joy to me was almost too much to contain. I cried and smiled and enjoyed the moment as much as I have enjoyed anything this week. 

I have thought about that a number of times since then, and she has mentioned it too, “do you remember when I danced for you?” I well up inside with emotion again, but it is not all about that situation anymore. I have realized that my heavenly father, my father God delights over me in the same way. The depth of feeling I have for my daughter is nothing compared to his feeling of joy over me.

This is perhaps something that only fathers will be able to relate to, and mothers to some extent. I could not have come close to understanding what I am so poorly expressing, until it blossomed in my own heart many times over as my children have grown up.

What a blessing it is to have children, and what a blessing it is to be loved by God.