My beloved child,
You may not know me yet,
But I have known you since before time took its first breath,
Long before your voice echoed its first word,
Before your lungs filled with air.
I saw you.
I knew you.
I delighted in you.
I have followed every step you've taken,
Every pause,
Every tear,
Every smile.
Not a single moment has escaped my eyes.
You are not hidden from me.
You have never been.
I know the shape of your soul,
The rhythm of your heartbeat,
The quiet thoughts you've never spoken aloud.
You were formed by my very hands,
Not as a mistake,
Not as an afterthought,
But as a reflection of my heart.
Every part of you carries intention,
Fearfully made,
Wonderfully made.
You belong to me.
You always have.
Before the stars found their place in the sky,
I imagined you.
I chose you.
I desired you.
I prepared a place in my story just for you.
You are not an accident.
You are a dream fulfilled.
Every moment of your life has been written on my heart,
Long before the clock of earth began to turn.
I marked the time and place of your first breath.
I chose where your story would begin,
What gifts would rest inside you,
And the light only you could bring into the world.
You are my beloved.
In the quiet mystery of the womb,
I was there.
I shaped you with care,
Cell by cell,
Breath by breath,
Weaving together your soul with the gentleness of a father and the artistry of a creator.
I celebrated the moment you arrived.
I know others have misrepresented me.
They've painted me as distant,
Angry,
Unapproachable.
But that is not my heart.
I am love.
Not love as the world knows it,
But a love deeper than oceans,
Steadier than time.
I don't bless you because you've earned it.
I pour out goodness simply because you are mine,
Not in name only,
But in heart.
I am your father,
And every good thing you've ever received has come from my hands,
Open,
Generous,
Unwavering.
I have been your source,
Your shelter,
Your quiet strength in every season,
And the plans I have for you,
Oh,
They are rich with promise.
Not vague hopes or empty dreams,
But a future anchored in my faithfulness,
A future wrapped in grace.
My love for you has no beginning,
And it knows no end.
It is deeper than the oceans,
Wider than the skies,
Stronger than the storms you've endured.
My thoughts about you,
They are many,
Too many to count,
And not a single one is rooted in anger.
They are soaked in delight,
In pride,
In joy.
I sing over you because you are my treasure,
And my desire is to establish you,
To bless you,
To lead you into wonders your heart can't yet imagine.
If you seek me,
Truly,
Honestly,
Wholly,
You will find that I've been here all along.
I have never turned away from you.
Even when you couldn't feel me near,
I was closer than your breath.
I am not hiding,
I never have.
Come,
My child,
Delight in me and watch how your soul awakens,
Those hopes you carry deep in the quiet places,
The ones you barely speak aloud.
I placed them there,
They were planted by my hand,
And in time,
I will bring them to bloom in ways more beautiful than you could ever imagine.
I am your greatest encourager,
Your fiercest protector,
Your most faithful friend.
When your heart shatters,
I draw near.
When you wander,
I pursue.
When you collapse,
I carry you,
Gently,
Tenderly,
Like a shepherd with a lamb pressed close to his chest.
Not one tear has gone unnoticed,
Not one ache has slipped past me.
One day,
I will wipe them all away,
Every sorrow,
Every scar,
Every shadow.
I will heal what's been broken.
I will restore what was lost.
I am your father,
And the love I hold for you is the very same love I hold for my son.
If you want to know my heart,
Look to Jesus.
He is the mirror of my nature,
The fullness of who I am made visible.
I did not send him to shame you.
I sent him to save you,
To reach into your darkness with light,
And to carry you home with arms wide open.
Through him,
I chose to no longer hold your wrongs against you.
I removed every barrier.
I cleared the path back to me,
Not with conditions,
Not with fear,
But with love.
Costly,
Relentless,
Unstoppable love.
The cross was not an accident.
It was my choice.
A sacrifice,
Yes,
But also a declaration.
This is how much you mean to me.
I gave up the one I loved most so that I would never have to lose you.
That is how deeply I long to be near you.
If you will open your heart to my son,
You will find me there too,
Waiting,
Welcoming,
Forever yours.
And when you say yes to me,
When you surrender your heart and call me father,
Nothing will ever be able to tear us apart.
No failure too deep,
No shadow too dark,
No power in all creation strong enough to loosen my hold on you.
You will be mine,
Fully,
Forever.
And in my arms,
You will find the home your soul has searched for all along.
I have never stopped being your father,
Not for a moment,
And I never will.
So now I ask you gently,
My beloved child,
Will you come?
Will you let yourself be loved?
Will you let yourself belong?
My arms are open.
My heart is full.
My love for you is beyond measure.
Forever and always,
I am yours.
Your dad,
Almighty God.
