Good, Good Father

Father's day was here and celebrated. All the wonderful photos of dads with young kids or adults with aging dads. I shared a picture of my husband with my son, himself a dad of two young children, who is one of seven. But there are many people who don't have a good father image to post.  Their father wasn't very involved in their life or maybe he was absent altogether.  I have heard that it is harder to accept a loving heavenly father when the earthly one left a lot to be desired. I can understand how this idea makes sense, yet God is such a great provider that it seems to me the lack of an earthly father would make it easier to run to the heavenly one. This notion comes from my husband's and my adoption experience.
    Two of our children, adopted from orphanages oversees, have no recollection of a mother or a father. I'm not sure what they were told as young children but because of a complete lack of a parent there was an intense longing for one. When introduced to me in a governmental office, my 7 year old son was hesitant and shy; however, when introduced to his dad "This is your daddy," He ran headlong into his arms surprising us all. This is how we need to respond to God.  Even those who may have a warped image of fatherhood must recognize the One who has come to get him and bring him home.
     Romans 8: 15 states You have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but you have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, "Abba, Father!" What were they fearing? Maybe chief among them was the fear of being left, deserted, abandoned. God the Father does none of these. In fact he has done the opposite: He sent Jesus to find us, carry us and deliver us safely to the father's presence.  Dwell on that picture a moment: the God of the universe is your Daddy who stands with open arms waiting for you to run into them.