When I was a child, my Dad (you’ve heard him referred to as Rog) would take me on Daddy Daughter Dates. We should have called them Roger Daughter Dates, ha, am I right? If you’ve met him, you could probably guess most of our dates included camouflage, spinners, guns and curling rinks. Occasionally other people (read: br-other people) tagged along on our dates but the best ones, were just him and me.
The VERY GREATEST DATE of all time was when we spent an entire weekend in Billings, Montana. He taught me the rules of football while we watched an outdoor game and then he drove me up the scariest, most treacherous mountain road I had even seen known as Bear Tooth Pass in the Rocky Mountains. Ok, so it wasn’t super scary, but for a girl who had grown up in the flat lands of North Dakota, the mountains seemed riddled with opportunities for us to drive off the edge and crash to our death.
Last week my squad was taken up another mountain in the Himalayas of Nepal. They called it a “hill” compared to Everest but again — North Dakota girl here, isn’t everything a “hill” in comparison to Everest? The “road” we used up the mountain should also be called Bear Tooth Pass, because I would rather be eaten by a bear than do that drive again. It was a washed out, one-way, dirt road with holes and missing spots. Going up the mountain in our oversized, rocking-back-and-forth bus, I began to have discussions with God like I had when it was Dad and me in the Rockies.
“Do I trust you not to drive us over the edge?” “You love me enough to protect me, right?” “When do we eat again?” Also… “Who on this bus has been asking for greater faith, because I am about to Jonah you right out the window.”
That mountain experience brought me back to my Daddy Daughter weekend with my Dad, and the safety of the paved roads in Montana. I began to think of ALL the Daddy Daughter Dates we had: swimming in the ocean, christmas tree shopping, Tuesday night curling leagues, deep sea fishing, regular sea fishing, river fishing, lake fishing, ice fishing… all the fishing.
And then my Father God asked me on a Father Daughter Date with Him.
Great, we can talk about the future and 401ks and how we can bring Kingdom. And not to project my experiences with my dad on you, but we can be fishers of men, or whatever, too. Ok God, this will be totes fun!
But God said “I am your Father, and you are my Daughter, but I get to plan the date. And know I am not asking you as my 32 year old daughter, I am asking you as a THREE YEAR OLD daughter.”
Haha. How about no. I am an adult, and I have so many things to offer, we could have a good time… if I am three, then all we could do is play. Three year olds don’t care about futures, 401ks or “their part in the Kingdom”… or anything, really… Silly Rabbit. That will never work.
“I am asking you on a date, would you like to come?”
…Breathing, sighing, breathing…
“I want to be your Father God and PLAY, PROTECT and PROVIDE for you… just like your Dad did when you were young.”
I really wish I could just insert an emoji or something that just showed how my face reacted to this comment. I have been working so hard to have things to bring to the table. See God, I can worship and journal and pray. I can tell people what You are saying to me and share wisdom in areas I understand. I have gone to church, preached, and said yes to this crazy gig. I can make hard decisions and come alongside people in their journeys… See God, I can play a vital part in your Kingdom. SEE HOW MUCH I HAVE DONE TO BE VALUABLE TO YOU?
Oh.
There it is.
I am working again, working to prove I am valuable to Him. When all He has asked was for me. Just me.
When I was a kid with Rog, I didn’t pay for the date, I didn’t bring the conversation, Dad wasn’t looking for ME to protect HIM, I literally didn’t do one thing but show up. Not one stinking thing. I didn’t even THINK about what I should or could bring. I mean I wouldn’t even bait the hook OR get the slimy fish off the line, that was Dad’s job. Its like he took me with him, just to be with me, a kid me, one who couldn’t bring a single thing to the table that wasn’t already his. Every date and every day, Dad played, protected, and provided for me.
So God, maybe You ARE right. (ugh theme of my life)
Teach me to be a kid who doesn’t come to You showing off how great I am or what I have a done for Your Kingdom. Help me to live empty handed like a 3 year old, ready to be fully present on a date with You, to come expecting to play, and not giving one thought to how I can help you provide or protect me.
So… what will it be today? Legos or Barbies? ha… um… but really?
