How great is it that God the Father is God our Father? I’ve taken great encouragement lately from this truth, that “Our Father who art in Heaven” is always available to us for anything from the mundane to the eternally significant. One of my greatest privileges is having an earthly father whose lessons and leadership remain practical in my day-to-day life and show me glimpses of how good our heavenly father is. Even as a 40-year-old who long ago left home and has been married for over eight years, I continue to be grateful for the intentional ways my dad guides me.

For those who have had less than ideal relationships with their own father, God invites them to a new understanding of the father-child dynamic. If that is you, hopefully these snippets of what I’ve learned from my dad will help you see God as your father in a better light.

So what are some of the tangible lessons from my dad?

Some of them are incredibly practical, like when I see social media posts encouraging me to be a helicopter parent, I think about Daddy teaching me to ride a bike. I told him over and over as he held onto the back of my seat, “don’t let go!” but he did, sending me downhill on my own because he knew that’s the only way I would learn.

I read about how Americans are out of touch with where their food comes from and think about Daddy and me planting a pepper garden together so we could make his favorite pepper jelly - some to eat, some to give away as gifts, and some to sell. From prepping the soil to burning my nose while playing with the spicy peppers, he taught me how to take a seed and see it to fruition for multiple purposes.

I’ve talked to friends who are trying to pay down their debt; as a nation we average over $7000 in debt per person in credit cards alone. But I have a father who typed out his financial mistakes and gave those to me when I was 18 so that I wouldn’t repeat the same mistakes in my life. (I can’t leave out my mom here, who with my dad taught me how to budget from the time I was in junior high school.)

I often see headlines positing how on earth people should handle the next generation’s entitlement, and I recall a phone call with Daddy when I was 22 and looking for my first job after college. I felt demoralized after dropping my resume off at yet another business that didn’t want to hire me and called him saying “I feel guilty because I feel like I’m better than these people, but I know that’s wrong.”

“You are not better than them; you are qualified for different jobs,” Daddy wisely reminded me. (I think it was about this time he was reading Why You Can't Be Anything You Want to Be.)

What I’ve learned through these and countless other lessons is that being my father’s daughter is a privilege because of his character, his sound guidance, and his unwavering commitment to point me to God. If you could find the two most common phrases that he says in our conversations, texts, and emails, I’d bet they are: “Hold to the Rock,” a reference to passages like 2 Samuel 22, and “Is there anything I can do to help you?”

I know we can’t choose our fathers, which is why I consider having mine such a privilege. But the even greater privilege is the same access I have to my earthly dad and all of his great wisdom, I have with my heavenly father, who is always available to guide, teach, correct, and simply be with me.

ABOUT OUR BLOGGER

Originally from Georgia, Mary Beth Gombita is a lover of sweet tea, a proud Georgia Bulldog and an avid music fan. She works in public relations, running her own communications consulting business from home. Mary Beth and her husband, Stephen, have two young sons. She is currently the editor of our Willowdale Women blog.

Kennett Campus Brunch

MISSED OUR WOMEN’S BRUNCH?

If you missed our women’s brunch last week, check out this video above. Held at each campus, the brunch was a great opportunity to meet and connect with other women at Willowdale Chapel, hear about our line up of women's groups for this fall and ask questions. We also enjoyed some delicious brunch food and had lots of fun!

Even if you missed the brunch, it’s not too late to sign up for a group. CLICK HERE to get a taste of our offering, and PLEASE register ASAP to ensure we have plenty of books and materials for our first week. New this year, we are piloting a homeschool group for kids K-4th grade on Wednesday mornings during our women's group time.

You might also consider joining one of our new Life of Christ Discovery Bible Groups on Wednesday nights at both campuses. We invite anyone new to Willowdale, new to the faith, disconnected from church community, or if you are in a group but need a reboot, to join us. All are welcome! Groups are available for women, men and couples. DISCOVERY BIBLE GROUP INFO AND REGISTRATION

Please don't hesitate to contact Carole Hoy, Women's and Groups' Pastor, if you have any questions. choy@willowdalechapel.org.