Daddy's Girl

I was born in Arizona, but around the time I turned 7, my family moved to Maryland. We found a house in a town called Westminster and moved all our belongings there.

We settled in, my parents taking the master bedroom upstairs, and my two sisters and I (at the time it was just the three of us) sharing a bedroom across the hall. Because we girls only had one bunk bed, we rotated sleeping positions: one night on the bottom bunk, one on the top bunk, and one on the carpeted floor.

I remember waking up in the dark as my father prepared to leave for work. He usually left about 5:30am, and the rest of us didn’t get up until 7 or 8am. But nearly every morning, I’d hear my father’s footsteps as he went down the stairs, fixed his coffee, and grabbed his things before heading out the door.

I used to stand at the front window, blinds raised and a light on behind me, so my Dad would be able to see me wave to him as he ascended the hill leaving our neighborhood. I’d wait at that window, watching for the lights of his car.

Most days, he would see me, and half way up the hill, he’d wave back. Then, with a content heart, I’d return to bed and sleep a few more hours.

Night after night, I listened for the sounds of my father. I’m not a light sleeper, but somehow I trained myself to wake each morning around the time my father would leave.

Some days, I’d wake up to the garage door closing and rush downstairs just in time to wave. Some days, I’d waken too late and would miss him.

Other days, I’d rise before he walked past my door and would be waiting for him when he came. On the nights that I slept on the floor, I’d lie as close to our door as I could, so it’d be easier to hear my Dad, and I would be closer to him.

As our family grew in number, our sleeping arrangements changed, and eventually I had a room of my own in the basement. My morning ritual of waving to my father slowly faded away, but when I could, I’d still wave to him. My siblings and I often waited by the window around the time my Dad would come home, watching for his car to come down our driveway.

I share this not because waving goodbye or hello was so important (though it meant a lot to me), but because these patterns reflected my heart.

I have always been a Daddy’s girl. My heart is to be with my Dad, where he is, even if only for a second.

I didn’t mind waiting by an empty window, for I knew that if I were patient, I’d be met with the sight of my father as he departed or returned home.

Sometimes, a glimpse is enough. Sometimes, a simple wave is all that’s needed.

As I’ve grown older, Jesus has shown me that the reason I have always been a Daddy’s girl is that my heart was created with Abba’s fingerprints all over it. Within me is an inherent desire for my ultimate Father, and that’s why my Dad and other father figures have touched me so deeply and made such an impact on me.

Every one of us needs a father. Whether you have sweet, simple memories with your Dad like me or not, there is a Father who fashioned you for Himself. He’s good, and kind, and right, and true. All it takes is a glimpse of Him to change everything.

And I have great news; we get more than that with our Daddy. We don’t ever have to go without Him; He has promised to be with us always.

I treasure the moments I have with my Dad, though now they are more rare (since we live in different states). The sound of his voice comforts me, and his encouragement and support mean more than I know how to put into words. But my greatest joy with my father is how he has represented Abba God. And now, I get to enjoy the life-giving love of my heavenly Daddy, the One who is with my forevermore.

If you have a hard time viewing God as your Father, my encouragement is to ask Him what that really means. Allow Jesus to define the term ‘father.’ The Lord was a Father before man ever was – which tells me that He is the truest, deepest, greatest, most perfect Father that could ever be.

He wants to be Father to you. He wants to hold you close, to carry you when you’re tired, to look in your eyes and comfort you. He wants to provide for you, to encourage you, to be your biggest fan. All you have to do is let Him. He’s always with you – He’s not absent, passive, or indifferent. He cares for you more than you can ever know.