Happy birthday daddy!
Today I’m celebrating that you were born 52 years ago. I’m so glad you were born on October 8, 1966. Mainly because I wouldn’t be here, duh, but also because God used your life in profound ways and still is using even to this day because of the legacy you left. Your life impacted so many people, and you really did fulfill God’s purpose for your life. You never missed a moment to love God’s children or share the good news of Jesus. I’m honestly so proud to say I am related to you, let alone to say that I’m your daughter!
You wouldn’t believe it, but I leave tomorrow for a missions trip that goes to 11 different countries! Actually, you probably would believe it since you’re the one who taught me how to listen to and then obey God’s voice in the first place.
I just want to thank you for being the man you were. The man who followed after God’s heart. The man who loved, served, and protected his family. The man who was sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit, and the same man who always obeyed what the Lord asked of him. Thank you for your diligent spirit, your kind heart, and your hilarious personality that bred life into every atmosphere you walked into. You really were exactly what a man of God/ Christian father/ Christ follower is supposed to look like. Everything you did was for God’s glory and to build his kingdom and everyone who met you actually only saw Jesus through you. There are still harvests that are being reaped through the seeds you planted during your 44 years of life.
Your christlike character as a father actually made it 1000x easier to understand and relate to God as my father. If you weren’t so good I probably wouldn’t have nearly as good of an understanding of how good and loving and caring God really is as I do. I mean, if you were that good as an imperfect human, and God is God who is perfect and knows everything, how much better is he?
Your life deserves to be celebrated. The story of your life carries on to this day and I know will for so many years to come. I just want to honor you for the man you were and the way you raised us as your kids to be.
Thank you for teaching me how to be obedient to God’s voice even when it doesn’t make sense to the world. Thank you for showing me how to always be selfless and put everyone before yourself. Thank you for teaching me the love of our heavenly father and his character by living it out. You preached a message everywhere you went everyday of your life, but it wasn’t always with words.
But dad life is still hard without you. I still miss you so much. I hate the idea that you won’t be here to walk me down the aisle on my wedding day. I hate that you didn’t get to approve of the man I choose to marry. I hate that you won’t be able to directly influence my children. I hate that our time was cut short; that you didn’t get to see me graduate high school or even get my license. Life is hard without you. You were so good that losing you left an even bigger void to fill because it caused me to lack so much more.
Yet, you left me with one gift that will always sustain me. That is knowing of the hope I have in Jesus. Knowing that I’m not fatherless because Jesus’s blood paid the price to adopt me into God’s family. Now I’m proud to be called HIS daughter, and he is able to do all those things you used to do and somehow even better since he’s perfect. God is the one who can influence my future children. The one who was with me when I graduated. The one who will be with me on my wedding day. The one who will lead me to the right man one day. He’s the one who now gives me the love of a father. The one who cares for me and provides for me. The one who protects me. The one who is my everything. Thank you for leaving me with the gift of knowing him since you incorporated him into every aspect of our family. And this year, I am going to focus on learning more and more about the perfect love of this father. I get to be a child in his arms again and allow him to lead and teach me. I never have to grow up alone or without a father because you left me with God. And that is something I can never thank you enough for. Words just don’t do it justice.
So dad (both heavenly and earthly), this year is for you. It’s to make you proud. It’s to learn from the example of my earthly father to live by faith to please my heavenly father. It’s to be made whole from the loss of my past by truly learning the love of my heavenly father who I can never lose no matter how hard I try (yet idk why I’d ever try to lose something that’s so perfect and great). It’s to learn from the example of my earthly father of what God’s character is, and finding my identity as his daughter. A daughter of the most high God and king (wow). As I become more rooted in this identity and love, I’m going to share it with the world, with every person I meet. Without missing an opportunity to share this great love of a perfect and good father to a world who has a big void to fill.
Happy birthday dad, hope you have the best day in heaven and the biggest party ever! (I mean you’re going to party 24/7 throughout this year since we’re going out into this world to find lost people and bring them home!)
Love,
Daddy’s little girl- Ashley ♥
