These days it isn't uncommon in the least for children to not have a one or even both of their parents. In this world no one seems to think twice about it.
Divorce is common place and children grow up never knowing their parents.
It is more common for the father to leave, although it seems like this is changing these days.
The negatives of growing up without a father are constantly growing.
I myself have had to deal with this very issue.
Due to this I have had problems in my life, both in my relationships and my spiritual walk.
It is fairly easy to guess what the issues in relationships are.
However, it may not be so easy to see how it has impacted my relationship with Jesus.
Growing up without a positive fatherly image in my life has caused me to have trust issues along with many other issues I do not think are worth sharing at the moment.
This trust issue has caused me to not look positively at father figures.
Consequently this has made looking at God as a Father.
Trusting Him to be the Father that I have never had (and in all honesty could never have) is something that I have been struggling to do.
Many times throughout the past school year this was talked about by speakers in chapel.
It is something that I have been working on throughout this past year.
Many floor Bible studies also brought up the topic.
For some reason I just have trouble fully wrapping my mind around the thought that God is also my Heavenly Father.
I am not sure what keeps me from accepting it other than the fact that I previously mentioned.
I was reading my Bible today and ran across a couple verses that seemed to just click with me.
5A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.
6God sets the lonely in families, he leads out the prisoners with singing.
-Psalm 68:5-6a
"I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty."
-2 Corinthians 6:18
Even though I may not have had a father in my life showing me how a father is supposed to treat his children, there is a God who wants to show me how a true Father is supposed to treat His children.
My Heavenly Father has shown me and continues to show me what it is like and how blessed I am to be His child.
He is constantly protecting me and blessing me.
Like the Psalm says, God has placed me in a family.
He has placed me in an adopted extended family that is absolutely incredible!!
(I also don't get to see often enough!! This past week of Family Reunion was a blessing!!)
On top of that He has placed me in an amazing church family at Journey that I am continuously being blessed by whenever I am with them!!
God has shown me what it is truly like to be a child of the one Father who loves me unconditionally, continuously shows me grace and mercy, and never leaves me.
He is my Father and He always will be.
An earthly father may fail but my Heavenly Father will never fail.
Though my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will receive me. -Psalm 27:10
