"Daddy, Wha!"


 

And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ. Ephesians 3:17b-18

My little granddaughter Abigail, is at the perfect age. She is nineteen months old, chubby and absolutely adorable. She loves life and is as content to sit and watch as she is to get up and dance.  Whatever she’s doing, she does it with a sweet innocence and openness to the world around her that is the lot of life of children raised in happy homes by loving parents.
Abigail is very attached to her mama but when it comes to superheroes she has one, Daddy.

My son Jeffrey is a musician and encourages a love of all things musical in all of his children.  Abigail is a dancer.  If Daddy will make noise that has a tune and/or a beat, Abby will dance.  I commented about that to my sister, who then asked if Jeffrey could send her a video of the baby dancing.  He did and knowing I’d have to see it too, he sent it to me as well.

In the beginning before the future Dancing With the Stars winner begins her routine she looks right at Jeffrey, holding the camera and says, “Daddy wha!” or at least that’s what it sounds like. Apparently she is saying “Daddy what.”  So cute! Beyond cute there is a delight in her face. Clearly she knew Jeffrey was in the room with her but when she looks and sees him there her face lights up and she shrieks with delight.
This morning I was overwhelmed with the love of my Daddy, our Abba Father.  I wrote in my journal, “Abba, wow!”  I immediately thought of Abigail. She is delighted with Jeffrey, as well she should be, he adores her and he’s an excellent daddy to all three of his children.  My first thought was one of thanksgiving for Jeffrey, for Abigail, for her sister Isabelle and her brother Samuel. They have a great example of what a father should be which will make a relationship with their heavenly Father an easier one to build.

The next thing that grabbed my heart was the simplicity but unabashed joy with which Abigail greets Jeffrey. I thought then of how often I am taken by surprise by the presence or the sheer enormity of God’s love for me.  I can’t be alone in that.  How great it would be if when we are presented with the undisputable fact of the unconditional love of our Father if we would just look at him and say, “Abba, what!” It isn’t a question. As in, what are you doing here. It’s an expression of delight. As in, what did I ever do to deserve this? Our Daddy’s answer to us would be the same as Jeffrey’s to Abigail. Nothing, you’re just you. Now doesn’t that make you want to shriek with delight?

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