The Father Heart of God

I think when I’ve heard a particular topic many times in sermon I become complacent of recognising it in my own life. That’s what ‘The Father Heart of God’ is like for me. The deep understanding of what it means to have a heavenly father can become this trivial fact of our faith. Those statements that when we first become a Christian brought such healing and awe, yet now as I get to year 8 (what?!) of relationship with Him I think I’m beyond the ‘basics’. This Christmas was a time of going back to the ‘basics’ – understanding the father heart of God.

But first I want to note this: my understanding of the heavenly father can come from a great example of my earthly father – for which I will be eternally grateful. I know this isn’t the case for everyone. I pray that you will experience what it means to have a father who loves you in the truest and deepest sense of the word. I want to recognise that because this blog will reference my own experience with my dad and how that reflects the heavenly father, for those for whom this is painful hopefully this is a part of the restorative process.

Over Christmas some really cool stuff happened and when asked to share what God has been doing over the season at my student group this week, I was so ready to share incredible stories of healing, evangelism, restorations of relationships, intimate worship session and answered prayers – some 4 years in the making. Instead, God said no I want you to share this:

“Not the stuff that happened but what makes you know it was I who did them.”

And the reason I know it was Him is because this Christmas I truly understood what the father heart of God looks like. What it is to love a daughter deeply, shown through the weird and wonderful relationship of my dad.

I want to share three examples (for those of you who know him they won’t come as a surprise at all) but also what characteristic of God they each revealed. For I think God reveals his character to us – yes in worship and scripture – but through others too.

Christmas wasn’t really a break for any of us. I still had classes (3 exams and 2 essays due after Christmas means there is no break!) and my parents have their full-time jobs. See me and mum work really well in the early hours, up by 6am and finished revision by 12 noon; but dad’s job is 9-5 so that’s where the problem lay.

On the first day back at 8:30 while dad is waiting for his working day to begin and I’m meant to be deep in revision, he’s telling me some stupid story that I can’t even remember and has me in hysterics. Mum walks out of her office and says “Erin move all your stuff to the dining table, you two can’t work together.” Not even a day in and we’ve already been separated like two school kids who distract each other.

As the day goes on dad visits said dining room in every break, bringing chocolate and drinks and just generally to chat.

By the second day mum sets specific break times.

By the third day she outright shuts the door in dads face every time he comes to distract me.

It was quite funny but what I realised in that moment is that’s exactly what God does. When the world (mum – sorry that’s you in this analogy) separates us from Him; he always comes running to find us. He wants to spend time with us. He wants to just chat and give us a snack. He just wants to be there.

The same happens in the evenings.

Towards the end of my stay as exams neared, I was working all evenings into the late hours. I’d be sat on the sofa and dad would come in and start nattering nonsense. Usually it was some funny story from the day – or as mum calls it ‘chatting nonsense’. And each time in the stress I would say “dad shut up I’m trying to do work”. He would smile content and wait for me to finish, or sometimes just bulldoze ahead and keep talking. It makes me think: how many times do I say to the heavenly father “go away I’m busy” and he sits there smiling content to wait for me, and sometimes he will keep talking because truly there’s something we just need to hear.

And finally, it this contentedness just to be with us that really stands out. I FaceTime my parents most days, usually just to ask a quick question or outwardly process my thoughts. My dad will be happy to pick up the phone listen to me talk in circles about the same thing while I think, give a bit of advice or really just happy and content to listen. He wants to know about my day – the good and the bad. When the bad stuff comes up he wants to defend me – send an email to some major CEO over the tiniest thing – that’s what a father’s heart is… just wanting to listen, to be with you, and seek the best for you.

And so I don’t say this enough but thank you dad for being a reflection of the heavenly fathers heart. For coming after me, for waiting for me and for listening to me. For just being content to be with his daughter and desire the best for her.