The supreme evidence of God’s love

My father went up to heaven four days before we celebrated Christ coming down to earth at Christmas. In a new, raw way, I treasure the promise in today’s Scripture reading and prayer. Both remind us that our Father doesn’t “just wish us well from a distance.” He sent Jesus to this flawed planet to die for us “while we were yet sinners.”

With the death of my dad, my mom, my siblings, and I appreciate the gift of eternal life through Jesus more than ever. We anticipate the day we can hug dad again and feel his rugged hands gently wrap around us in heaven. When asked to write for the GPS today, one story about my dad immediately came to mind. Perhaps it was because yesterday’s scripture focused on hesed, the Hebrew word for our Father’s faithful love. My earthly father loved me, my brother, and my sister with “hesed.”\

Each night as a family we would kneel beside my brother’s bed and pray The Lord’s Prayer. After dad pulled the covers up to our chins, he would tuck us each into bed, but it was no ordinary ritual. Dad made it extraordinary.

We were given the choice of two bedtime tucks: “The Tenderizer” or “The Steamroller.” Dad said, “Only the rough and the tough order ‘The Steamroller.’” It deserved its name as it squished anyone in its path. Dad would lie down on the bed and pretend to roll over us. Of course, my mom had more than two cents to say about that tuck.

Without fail we would “place our order” for “The Tenderizer Tuck.” Dad used the sides of his hands to karate chop faster than a drum roll from our heads to our toes and back again. This seemed to vibrate every last giggle from our tired little bodies. Then he would kiss us goodnight and turn out the lights.

After all the years my dad tucked us in, I know that he is now tucked safely in our heavenly Father’s arms. Dad can rest after his 16-year battle with Parkinson’s Disease. We each face trials. Some are physical. Others are emotional or spiritual. I watched my father as these trials produced endurance, character, and ultimately hope. Some think of God as an angry, heavenly steamroller. But we know from today’s reading that God loves us with the kindness of a father who would sacrifice what is most dear to Him to have a personal, eternal relationship with us.

Earthly fathers have big shoes to fill as they are called to love us like our heavenly Father. My dad, Cliff Nale, filled those shoes well. So today as I cherish his memory, I pray for those whose hearts hurt for the love of an earthly father. And I thank God for being our Daddy (our Abba) who wants us to rest in His love until we rest in His arms.

Prayer: Abba, send your Holy Spirit to comfort those who have not known the unconditional love of their earthly father. Send us and others to share your love, to show them your faithfulness and to invite them into the joy of knowing You. Give them fresh hope and peace that passes earthly understanding. Be with them in a new way in this new year. Tuck them in safely each night. Cover them with hesed. Amen.