May 6, 2007 - Our Father
May 6, 2005
Luk 11:2 KJV
(2) And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father ....
Our Father. Conjures up some images in your mind, doesn't it? A few years ago a trusted friend had me picture what it would be like if I were to crawl up into my heavenly Father's lap. Be there asking Him for what ever I needed. It was hard for me to do. I felt small, like a piece of sand on His lap, like he hardly noticed me and I was an irritant to Him.
Many of us have these problems because we had earthly fathers who were far from perfect. In my own case, my biggest memory of my dad was when he took a belt to my bare bottom and kept hitting me till I had let loose my bladder all over the floor, and then made me clean it up. Why, because I had yelled at my older two brothers. We had gone to the Red Sox game that afternoon, and for some reason my brothers teased me. I did not know it yet, but I had the German Measles , and was running a fever and had a headache. When they started teasing me, I got upset real quick and started yelling. That is when dad came down the stairs and you know the rest. For years, that has been my memory of my dad. That could be why I had, and sometimes still have, a bad image of God.
Did you notice something about that story? God called my attention to it when I was thinking of it the other day. I told you my dad took me to the Red Sox game. Why do I focus on the bad things, when there was a great afternoon of baseball, ice-cream, pop corn and a trip into Boston to think about? You see, like many of us, I remember the negative so much more clearly. God pointed out to me that I choose to live in those memories of my father and it affects how I think of Him as Father. He wants me to look back at the good stuff that my dad did for me. Does that mean I will forget the bad things? Nope! They will always be part of my memory of my dad. But I can choose to start looking for the good as well.
Do you have a father that hurt you? Can you find something good in him to remember him about? If your dad is still alive, try making good memories with him while you can. Learn to focus on the good and I am sure your image of 'our Father' will improve.
