to the fatherless,
i, too, am fatherless (motherless, as well). so in a sense, that makes me an orphan- an orphaned-adult. one of many life's long pursuits is to be loved- by a husband, friends, siblings, parents, etcetera. i was fortunate blessed enough to grow up with a father who was loving. one thing i will never again experience, now without my father, is my father's love. my father's love was so special because of many reasons. of these reasons, two stand out for me personally.
my father's love was unconditional: i have many imperfections and to list them all would be too long. one i face everyday since birth is my physical weakness. all the muscles in my body are weak. i can only imagine the extra difficulties that were added because of my ailment to the already difficult life of parents in raising a healthy child. i can only imagine but never confirm if he felt bitterness because he was given a child with challenges. but i can say with full confidence that my father loved me and i know his love in a special way because of my weakness.
my father's love gave me a sense of security: i remember in junior high school, i had to do a reading project (for those who know me personally, i really do not like to read). i started to read the assigned book so late in the day and i had known from the get-go that i would not be able to finish reading it- let alone complete the project portion. so i approached my dad, fearful of his disappointment in me, and shed a few tears. all he did was console me and encouraged me to just do my best.
without my father with me today, i have a greater fear of failure because i do not have my dad to catch/encourage me and tell me that everything will be okay. if i fail in life, i do not have my dad to run back home to. i never thought this then, probably because i did not enter adulthood until my dad had already passed away, but ever since i had faced grown-up life, these thoughts have been present.
my father's love was not perfect. my father was able to love me only within his human bounds/limitations. my father's love is but a shadow/a glimpse.
there is a love that is perfect! but it is not found in this world.
a group of people and i visited an orphanage in tijuana, mexico.
we did crafts with the children to celebrate the advent.
through him, we are adopted.
we become sons and daughters.
the fatherless are no more because he is...
a father to the orphans.
