The Invisible Father

Humor me for a moment. I want you to imagine that you have just become a father/mother. You have just adopted a child, and you couldn’t possibly be more overjoyed. You play the scene in your head over and over and get excited about meeting and growing close to this child. The day finally arrives when you will meet your child. You see them off in the distance, and you feel yourself begin to run towards them. Your heart is racing and you are bursting with anticipation. The child comes into view, and you crouch down and open your arms for them to run into your embrace for a welcoming hug. Then, everything begins to go downhill…

The child doesn’t seem to notice you. They stop short of you and begin to look around them. You call out their name, but they don’t seem to hear you. Concerned and confused, you reach out to place your hand on their shoulder. They take a step back away from you and brush themselves off. With tears welling up in your eyes, you cry out the child’s name again. They once again do not hear you and begin to walk away from you. You feel your heart plummet from within you. As the child fades out of view, you cry out their name again and begin to follow them so that you don’t lose sight of them. There is once again no response.

Now, crushed and broken-hearted, you follow the child at a distance. You realize that even though they do not acknowledge you, you still have a responsibility to look out for them. You try to catch up to them, but they always stay the same distance away from you. Then you notice rocks hurling through the air towards your child. In a panic, you yell out their name and run faster. It’s no use. The rocks pummel the child, and they wail in pain. No matter how hard you try, you can never catch up to them. Suddenly, more rocks fly through the air towards your child. They are now hurt and lying on the ground. They find their marks, causing the child excruciating pain. The child wails and looks around for help. Even though you continue to holler out their name, they cannot hear you. Your biological child hears you and comes to your aide. He is your grown son who always helps you out. You feel at one with them and are glad when they are willing to help.

You explain the situation to your son, pointing to the child off in the distance. Sharing in his father’s sadness, he is moved to tears. Suddenly, it dawns upon you. You have no idea how you figured it out, but you now realize that you have to choose. You must choose the broken and bleeding child who won your heart when you first laid eyes on them or your even-willing and able son who has always been by your side. Now overcome with despair, you look into your son’s eyes, knowing what must be done. The son realizes also what needs to happen and asks you if there is any other way. You are certain in knowing that you need to do whatever you can to save that child. You make the decision, and have your own son killed. As his blood poured out, you hear him cry out. You feel pain watching your son die helplessly, but you are determined now more than ever to save the bleeding child.

After your son’s final breath a bridge forms between you and the child. The child notices it! They wipe their tears away and use the side of the bridge to pull themselves up. You begin towards them once more, now able to get closer to them. The child curiously wanders out across the bridge. You once again are face to face. The child seems somewhat aware of your presence but still looks around. You whisper their name, and they perk up. They heard you! You feel the tears begin to flow as you tell them that you love them and open your arms once more. The child looks at you and says… “You don’t exist,” and walks away.

This is how God loves us. He loves us so much that He sent His only son, Jesus, to be the sacrifice for us so that we can have a bridge to Him. Then, He raised His son from death, and He lives today! So many people don’t know that God did this for them, and they push Him away or say that He doesn’t exist. It breaks God’s heart, but His love never changes for you, whether the rocks that hit you in life were caused by yourself or someone else.

God is still there, standing with open arms waiting for you. You don’t have to be perfect; He wants you just as you are. He just wants you to say, “Yes, I accept your love, and I accept that you sent your Son to die to save me.” It’s that easy! If this is you today, say these words to Him, and He will welcome you home with those open arms. You are never too far gone. That bridge that He created covers all of the sin that kept Him from catching up to you before. If you are ready to know your Father, please pray this with me:

“Father, I know that I have made a mess of my life, but I’m ready for you now. I believe that you sent your Son Jesus to die for my sins, and I accept your love and forgiveness. I’m so sorry for all of the wrongful things that I have done, and I thank you that your Grace is enough to cover all of my sins. Thank you, Lord for adopting me into your family and saving me. I thank you for the new start that you give me here and now. In Jesus Name I pray. Amen.”

If you prayed this prayer, congratulations! I would love to hear from you. Please take a moment to leave a comment below, so that I can congratulate you personally.

Welcome to the Family, and make it a great day!