“Look Mommy! I wear Daddy’s shoes!” It is a precious thing to see my two-year-old son clomp around in his daddy’s size twelve shoes. He moves at a snail’s pace, but feels like he’s king of the world – all because he’s wearing Daddy’s shoes.
I feel an ache in my heart when I think about children who grow up in homes without a loving father figure. There are no big shoes to trip and stumble in, and if there are they have no desire to fill them with their tiny feet. Daddy’s shoes are either non-existent or conjure up feelings of fear and insecurity. This is a sad thought to me.
I am grateful for my own earthly father who continues to shower me with love and comfort, strength and wise counsel, even though I’m grown and have a family of my own. I am grateful that my children, too, have a father who loves them, adores them, and would sacrifice everything to keep them safe and secure. These fathers in my life are a treasure to me.
Because of the examples of loving fatherhood I have been surrounded with my entire life, seeing God as a compassionate and caring Heavenly Father comes more naturally to me. I know that I can trust in His gentle and loving hands, even when being disciplined. I have confidence that there is no problem too big, no need too small and no prayer too insignificant to bring to my Heavenly Father. And I find myself longing to fill the shoes of this Father and follow in His footsteps.
When I choose to respond in love rather than a harsh word, or put the needs of others before my own, it is as though I have found a pair of my Heavenly Father’s shoes sitting on the living room floor, and I’ve slipped my feet inside. They are big, they are impossible to fill, and if I try to walk too fast, I will no doubt trip and fall. But it is the joy of wearing my Daddy’s shoes that excites and thrills me. When I wear His shoes, I feel a little bit bigger, a little more confident and a little closer to the One who is completely captivated by my efforts to emulate Him.
I wish everyone could know this amazing Father. The One who cares deeply about every detail of His children’s lives. The One who is as close to us as the air we breathe. The One who fights for His children. And the One who’s heart we captured from the moment of conception. This is the Father whose shoes are too big to fill, too perfect to replicate and often too heavy to walk around in. However, He loves it when we try, encourages us to never give up, and thoroughly delights every time He hears our heart’s exclaim, “Hey, look! I wear my Daddy’s shoes!”
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Thanks for sharing these beautiful thoughts!
Amy! This so captured my thoughts from Sunday’s sermon.
There is very little I can say about my earthly father that is positive. After being asked to think of at least one thing… I remembered that he did make delicious scrambled eggs and taught me how to do the same.
I was hoping that memory would stir others, but it did not. So, I stick with that. Grieve what I did not have. Forgive what was done to me. And know that one day, I will sit in my Heavenly Father’s lap and feel his arms embrace me… and have no fear of him. And I long for that day… still wishing I would have a glimpse here on earth, but knowing I must wait. For my true Father. Who loved me… even before I was born.
Thanks for sharing the pleasant memories of your dad!