Every Family in God's Service

Carrie-Anne and I waited inside the Wendy’s in Terrell, halfway between our home in North Richland Hills and my parents’ place in Kilgore. We were meeting my mom and dad there to pick up our daughters. We hadn’t seen them in two weeks. During our trip to Ukraine we talked often about our girls and how much we missed them.

I saw my parents’ car pull into the Wendy’s parking lot and, before it even came to a complete stop, before Carrie-Anne and I could even stand up, all three girls jumped out and ran with total abandon toward us.

They ran!

Carley jumped into my arms. Whitney’s never hugged me that tight. Valerie kept going back and forth between Carrie-Anne and me, alternately hugging and patting us with her deepest affections.

Wow, that felt great.

Carley had made all kinds of paintings and drawings and woodworking projects for us. Whitney kept grabbing for my hand all afternoon. Later that night Valerie snuggled up next to me, wrapped her arm around mine, and laid her head on my shoulder. “I haven’t been able to do this in two weeks,” she said.

My girls’ expressions of love for me and their strong desire to be with me is a truly amazing thing. I love it. Nothing compares to being truly loved and wanted by your kids.

And isn’t it true that my desire for my kids is only a faint shadow of God’s great love for me. And for you. I am a sinful man, full of shortcomings, inadequate in a million ways. And I would do absolutely anything for these girls. How can I not put all of my faith and trust in a perfect heavenly Father who loves me even more than I love my daughters?

“If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!”

~Matthew 7:11

Peace,

Allan