In the last weeks I have had two great experiences that taught me much about my heavenly Father.
The first is that I was able to spend a relatively carefree week with our two-year-old granddaughter Rowen. She was certainly carefree! It was an absolute joy and a great learning experience to spend this unbroken time with her. She laughed and walked around with absolutely no concerns or worries. Rowen was affectionate, engaging, curious, and fully absorbed in each experience.
She was in a house where she had never been previously, sleeping and playing in unaccustomed areas. Her demeanor and even her confidence as a toddler, a little two-year-old, was nothing less than fascinating and amazing.
I asked myself how this came to be. How was she so assured and confident? The answer came clearly and easily. It was that she was certain she is seen, understood, deeply loved, valued, and cared for. Nothing weighed her down. She could live freely and enjoy each moment with that certainty.
That is a picture of God’s plan and ideal for us. He wants us to know and experience Him as our heavenly Father, and to live with joy in a broken world, a world that is shattered and unstable. No matter what is going on around us, when we know that He is our Father, when we are certain that He sees us, understands us, loves us, values us, and is caring for us, we, too, can live life with joy. I have experienced that throughout my life.
The other experience was spending time at the ocean. I intentionally walked in the sand and sat on the shore every single day. It was so relaxing, therapeutic, and confidence building to focus on the waves. They were sometimes gentle and sometimes pounding and powerful. The blue water and white-tipped waves extended as far as my eyes could see. All of them were breath-taking. The endless ocean spoke of the vastness and power of our Father in so many ways. I felt so close to Him and in awe of Who my Father is.
The author of Romans experienced what I did:
For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. Romans 1:20 NLT
God told Job directly of this power:
Who kept the sea inside its boundaries as it burst from the womb, and as I clothed it with clouds and wrapped it in thick darkness? For I locked it behind barred gates, limiting its shores. I said, “This far and no farther will you come. Here your proud waves must stop!” Job 38:8-11 NLT
The more I believe in and experience God‘s existence and His great eternal power, and the more I draw close to God to love and be loved by Him, the more I will experience and exhibit joy and confidence akin to Rowen’s. This almighty, all-loving God is my Father, and He cares for me.