This past week I’ve watched my son-in-law with my granddaughter, Elle.
Stephen is a good dad. But more than that he’s a dad who never fails to let his daughter know that she is loved and safe in His presence.
When he walks in the door at night, his arms are open wide. “Elle,” he shouts, picking her up and tossing her high, then pulling her close as he whispers, “Daddy loves you, Elle.”
The reality is that a lot of little girls have never known that daddy’s love. Maybe you are one of them.
Daddy’s love was confusing or absent or destructive. So the image of an Abba Father seems just as elusive. 
But scripture says that you are Daddy’s girl.
When you walk into His presence, He delights in it. He holds you close with His love. He rejoices over you.
The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing. Zephaniah 3:17
My biological father was never a factor in my life.
And yet I’m still Daddy’s girl.
And so are you.
I wish I could learn this lesson! It’s so hard! Trust is hard for me…Thanks for sharing.
You just wrote my story. My Dad was not there in my life either. I really missed that. Thank OUR GOD for his love. Thank you and have a BLESSED THANKSGIVING! Deb
I was severely molested by my father from the age of two. Many people think that children do not retain memories from such an early age; however, one of the incidents occurred in the home of a relative that my family lived with for a short time. I was able to describe that I slept on a pallet on the floor in the living room. I was forced to perform oral sex on him and he did the same to me while I lay on that pallet. This, and much more, happened several times a week for many years. My nightmare was discovered by my grandmother while I visited her. My mother had just received another severe beating from my father and he was sitting in jail at the time. Mom was moving our things into a new place and was seriously considering getting him out of jail AGAIN!
You see, I had a severe infection that caused me great pain when I urinated. When I was unable to hold back my screams, my grandmother came running. She asked me what was wrong. She examined me and immediately knew something was not right. After much consoling and assurance that everything was going to be okay, I finally got up the nerve to tell my sweet, Jesus-loving grandmother what was happening to me. I was so frightened because of the threats and lies my father told me.
For many years, I was extremely angry and often asked God why that had to happen to me. I couldn’t understand why a God who claimed to love me would allow that or many other horrible things to happen to other innocent children. I finally realized that God loved us so much that He does not force His will on us. He allows us to make our own decisions. Just like He won’t force us to love Him. He offers us a choice. Love Him and trust in Him and we can have hope in everlasting life with Him or deny Him and choose to be separated from His love forever. My father had a choice. He chose sin over love. I know that God’s heart was broken every moment that I was afraid and in pain. He was also broken-hearted that my father chose to hurt me rather than to protect me. God knew that as long as my father engaged in those behaviors, he would not turn to God. That too, hurt our Lord.
Now as an adult, I can choose to live a life full of shame and self-degradation as so many others who are abused do. I could fill that hole in my heart with promiscuity, drugs, alcohol, and gluttony. I could self-mutilate, starve myself, or even perpetuate the violence that was inflicted on me. I could punish the world for my pain. OR…I can choose to love and accept God’s love. I can reach out to others who have experienced my pain and help heal their hearts. I can choose to understand just how very much God loves me. I can know that I am His peculiar treasure. I can rest in the promises that He will give me beauty for ashes, joy for my mourning, and double for my trouble. I can learn to forgive because He has forgiven much of me. I can pray for my father because I know he really, really needs it. God desires that ALL of us will not perish but have everlasting life with Him, not just the “good” people. I have hope that my future lies in Him. I have hope that one day, all my pain and sorrow will be completely gone. With God’s love, I continue to heal, day by day, bit by bit. I know He has a plan for me. I see it everyday as He sends people into my life that will love me and those that I can show His love to.
On a side note, my God is so good! Until the year I married my husband, I had my wonderful, God-loving, prayer warrior Grandmother. She went to be with Him six months before my wedding. I believe her prayers saved my life. AND, very shortly after my mother’s divorce from my father became final as he sat in prison, God sent my daddy into my life. He had a tough time getting around my fear of men; however, with a gentle spirit and loving countenance, I was finally able to trust him. I call him my human band-aid because he helped heal my pain and showed me how a real father should treat his daughter. My mom commented just the other day that I was truly “Daddy’s Little Girl”. I have no problems admitting to it!