The Name Above All Others

“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men.  I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.  But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen.  Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.  And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.  Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.”    

                                                            Matthew 6: 5-10

I only intended to whisper His name into the ebony night,

but the full force of His power sprang from my lips as I called His name –

FATHER!

That’s all.  Nothing else to say. 

I closed my eyes and sighed a heavy sigh and let myself go before Him.

He knows.

I know, that He knows.

Yet, the heaviness didn’t quickly subside; it just settled deeper into the crevices of my heart until I brought it up again with an anguished cry,

FATHER!!!

And the tears freely cascaded down my cheeks

and the tension released its grip on my body.

I felt His arms around me – strong, yet gentle; stoic, and ever so comforting.

As I settled into His embrace,

I inhaled the aroma of peace, healing and blessed assurance.

FATHER.

This time it is a whisper-

a soft, delicate whisper,

like a lullaby gently lulling me into sweet sleep.

For My Father

Greetings readers! It's Gratitude Friday!  Today, I'd like to share with you a piece that my oldest son, Joshua wrote for my Gratitude Journal.  It's a piece about his very special relationship with his Dad.  I hope you enjoy it and as always, be divinely inspired!    Dena :)


How great is the love the Father has lavashed on us, that we should be called children of God!  And that is what we are!  1 John 3:1

 My father is a rabid Philadelphia Eagles fan. He was born and raised in Philadelphia, PA, so naturally he loved the NFL team that sports Kelly green (midnight green later) as a child. When I was born, it was almost destined that I would become an Eagles fan, as I am his oldest son. Whenever we do well, it’s, “Josh, I think this is our year.” Whenever we do poorly, it’s, “Josh, I think they need to fire Andy Reid” (the head coach). I remember when I was little, I asked my father why we cheered for the Eagles. He muted the game that was on TV, looked me dead in the eyes and said, “Son, you have two options. You can sit outside and root for whatever team you want or you can stay in here with me and cheer for the Eagles.” This was in the middle of a Chicago winter, mind you. Needless to say, it was an easy choice. In 2005, my parents gave me the best ongoing birthday present I’ve ever received. They presented (no pun intended) with tickets and airfare to Philadelphia for an Eagles game against Drew Brees, Ladainian Tomlinson and the San Diego Chargers. Every year since then, we travel back to Philly for a game around my birthday. Just my father and I, hanging out for a weekend together. It is the absolute coolest thing to me.

My father is a very important man in my life. He taught me everything I know. Okay well maybe 45%. But still, that’s a lot of knowledge from 1 person. He’s the person I look up to, the person I aspire to be like. I understand how much of an impact he’s made on my life because so many of my friends don’t have their father around them consistently.

I am incredibly grateful for a loving, caring, compassionate father. Today I thank God for my father!