WORLD'S GREATEST DAD!!!!

In elementary school we used to have this little store on wheels that you could buy things off of, pencils, pens, paper, erasers, books, etc. Around each holiday they would have small magazines of things you could order for gifts for people (aprons and candles for mothers day, ornaments for christmas, cards for birthdays, and so on and so forth). I remember one upcoming Fathers Day I had saved up my pencil and scented eraser money and bought my dad a mug that said "Worlds Greatest Dad" My dad was so happy and so proud to get that mug, and I was so happy and so proud to be able to give it to him because in my eyes he was the worlds greatest dad. He held so many characteristics of what one small child would consider the "perfect father". When my mom left us I was about 8 years old, and up until that point I dont remember seeing my dad very much or having a close relationship with him. But when he was left as sole parent, everything changed. He learned how to cook for us (yes fish sticks and friend bologna but still). He learned how to do the laundry (yes i had pink and purple panties and socks that were once white but who cares). He owned his own business, kept up with the housework, coached my sister and I in all of our sports, never missed a game, never missed a play or choir concert, took time to do homework with us when we struggled, took us to church, and did all of the things that gives the impression of LOVE. And of COURSE it was LOVE, my dad adored us. Was he perfect? Not at all. Once we get older we realize our dads arent perfect, and sometimes it is a struggle because we have this superhero image of our dads and when they let us down, or screw up big time it can alter our perception of them forever. My dad was killed in a car accident a little over a year ago. Given ways he screwed up, times he scared me, mean words he'd say to me, times i may not have felt so loved, etc...given all of that I would give anything in the world to have him back still.

I say all of that to move on to chapter 3 in Crazy Love which talks about our relationship with God as our father. And not just a father to fear, but a father to recognize as the one and true worlds greatest dad. I know it's a hard concept, even for me, but the creator of this world LOVES me. Me? Little ole me? Yes!!! As a matter of fact he intimately knew me before I was even a thought in my mother's head.

Francis Chan depicts an image of how God wants us to love him and come to him, and it compares to that of a small child crawling up into the lap of God and hugging on him, laughing with him, crying on him, asking him questions, learning from him, and without fail LOVING HIM. If I could do that to my earthly father, despite all of his flaws, then why cant I do that to my Heavenly Father who is PERFECTION. He doesnt just love us he IS Love. One thing I loved about this chapter was how Chan put it that Jesus doesnt have to love us-he is utterly perfect and does not need us at all. But he WANTS us, He CHOOSES us! So how come it is that often times we dont choose Him?

As a continous challenge I want to extend: Getting intimate with God. I dont just want to SAY I love Him (which obviously I DO love him) but just as with any relationship I want that love to thrive and survive through the tests of time, worldy hardships, and growth. I want God to be my choice in Dad, best friend, lover, husband, mentor, teacher, etc. He should be everything to us because he IS...EVERYTHING! And it is time we started behaving that way. Not just so we can get the blessings that come from Loving God, but so we can genuinely show our father how much we love Him!

If God were our human, earthly fathers we would buy Him Worlds Greatest Dad mugs everyday. We would color Him pictures, make him surprise deserts for dinner, lay in bed at night and watch cartoons, wrestle on the living room floor, take walks with him, share events in our lives with him, take his advice to heart, kiss him on the foorhead when we get out of the car, play ball with him, listen to music with him, WE WOULD DO EVERYTHING WITH HIM and EVERYTHING FOR Him...we would want to make Him proud and show Him how much we Love Him...so why dont we REALLY do those things for God?