Snapshots of Our Father

Over the last month or so I have seen two different scenarios that really touched me when I saw them, and that made me think about my Heavenly Father.


The first scenario happened during my road trip to Richmond (see earlier post). That Sunday morning when I arrived at the church, the man (Dan) who's family had hosted me the night before, was in the basement of the church getting a cup of coffee ready for a "return visitor" to the church. That in itself does not sound all that spectacular. However, this church visitor was special. He was handicapped in some way - possibly having cerebal palzy. He seemed to be mentally sharp, but due to his condition, his speech was at times hard to understand. I ended up sitting at his table after the service for the fellowship meal. What happened next is what impacted me. Dan went through the food line and fixed the man a plate. He then sat next to him, made a bib out of a napkin for him, and then proceeded to feed him patiently for the next fifteen to twenty minutes. He wasn't doing this to "be seen." He was just loving his brother who couldn't feed himself. What an amazing picture of our Heavenly Father who is full of compassion, patient with us, and meets needs for us that we could never meet ourselves.

The second scenario happend this past weekend. I went over to my friends Brian & Becky's apartment for the Super Bowl game. A month or so ago their 17 month old daughter's brain began to swell. She was rushed to the ER, where they performed an emergency surgery to remove the top of her skull. Days later the swelling in her brain began to go down. However, the long road to recovery had just begun. The doctors are still not sure if her brain will ever fully recover. Brian and Becky are prayin for God's miraculous intervention. They now take her to physcial therapy appointments multiple days each week. They also have to do daily exercises with her. I sat and observed Brian on Sunday as he took Felicity through a series of exercises - moving her hands, arms, legs, feet, etc. I watched him encourage her and praise her efforts. I also watched him accidentally push her a bit too hard in one of the stretches, and then hold her in his arms as she seemed to cry out and wonder why she had to keep doing the exercises. Again, what an amazing picture of our Heavenly Father who loves us no matter what, who never gives up on us, and who leads us through multiple "rehabilitations" throughout our lives. He is also there to wrap His arms around us when we need to feel His touch.


Next time you pray the Lord's prayer, stop and pause after the first line. "Our Father in heaven" - What an amazing statement? When we stop and think on that it alters our entire perspective as we approach the throne of grace.