Has anyone ever told you "nothing good ever happens after 10!"? Well, i am pretty sure they may be accurate. We were on the bread aisle where we were having much trouble finding BBQ bread (southern fam probs). We were searching the shelves high and low, him on one end of the aisle and me on the the other. I eventually gave up and began walking towards him when I saw that he was talking to four very ghetto and very intoxicated guys. It didn't take long for me to figure out it wasn't a conversation I wanted them to be having. Though I didn't hear the initial conversation I did hear "don't be stupid" come out of my dads mouth, saw one guy grab the other and drag him away, and then me and my father started walking in the other direction. As he began to tell me about what was going on the guy screamed, "who ya talkin about?!" To which my dad responded, "YEAH, YOU!" I still wasn't sure what was happening, but I was sure of the fact I did not want my dad talking to them.
Come to find out, he had overheard them talking about me in what I am assuming was a inappropriate way. I was absolutely shocked that he said something to them. For one, my dad is one of the most gentle and compassionate people I know, so this was out of character. Also, I was probably shocked because if it was me I would have thought it would be smarter not to say anything at all. More specifically, I would have been scared to death to open my mouth. More than shocked, I felt so loved. I know that my dad has protected me over the years, but I can't think of any other time were I have seen him put himself in harm to protect me. I can't help but smile thinking about it now.
Many people use Christianity to provide hope to those who are fatherless. To ensure them if they don't have a earthly father they have a heavenly Father who loves them more than anyone ever could. That is not me. Instead, I am blessed enough to have a father who points me to the Love of my heavenly Father. A father who loves like the Father who loves him.
So while I have often thought about the my Walmart experience the last few days and was shocked that my dad protected me like that, I start to ponder, why am I so shocked?
These thoughts led me to this: In the next year I will be taking a journey in life that is kind of scary and maybe a little unsafe. If I think about it for too long, I get really scared and even question if I should carry it out or not. Then I remember: I have a father who loves me. A father who is willing to put himself in harm for me.
How do I know? The next day after this Walmart fiasco, we would celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. The same man who died on a cross for me.
My heavenly father sent His only son to die for me. To rescue me from myself. Yet, I somehow doubt the fact He will protect me?
The same love I felt from my father who so willingly stepped into danger for my well-being is just a small taste of the love my God can and will provide!
How blessed am I to have a God who loves and cares for me? How blessed am I to have a earthly father who so often points me to that perfect love?
"But He was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed." -Isaiah 53:5
"For He will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease. He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection." --Psalms 91:3-4
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