Blank Spaces and Empty Places Meant for a Father

Blank, courtesy of Pixabay and Adobe Spark
Blank, design by Adobe Spark
My dad with me and my twin sister

“I love you.” His voice reassured as he tenderly kissed my forehead.

Hopeful imagination of my biological father. A time of his absence in my life. A girl dreams.

My being so young when he left and the passing of time had a way of causing memories to escape. I’d forgotten what he was like.

You see, my mother’s hands were full with me and my twin sister. So, she scooped everything up—including us—and moved from Texas to her hometown in Virginia to live with my grandparents.

Blank Spaces and Empty Places

Soon we were fortunate to have a wonderful stepfather come into our lives—a man who, along with my mother, cared for and loved us as if we were his own daughters. To this day, I’m grateful for him.

But line seven of my birth certificate held a name.

Although my children’s certificates of live birth list the mother’s name first, directly following child’s name. My birth certificate from The Bureau of Vital Statistics, Texas Department of Health, lists the father’s name firstdirectly following my name.

So this piece of paper has been filed, proving my existence by documenting birth and the names of my mother and father. It contains no blank spaces.

Yet, my life held a blank space and my heart an empty place. The space meant for a biological father.

To Know a Father Blank, picture by Pixabay, design by Adobe Spark

I wanted to know my real dad. Would I be a daddy’s girl? I wondered if I could sit in his lap or if he wore cologne. Maybe he would hoist me to his shoulders so I had a better view of animals at the zoo.

What kind of television shows did he like? Would he watch cartoons with me? All things I wondered about him and wanted to experience in a personal relationship with him.

I had a loving stepfather. Still, my heart whispered, A real father stays.

The man, on line seven of my birth certificate, came back into my life when I was in elementary school. He gained visitation rights every other weekend with me and my sister.

My father became known to me. He liked westerns and Johnny Cash. He cracked open pecans and salted before eating. Fried bologna and onion sandwiches were a favorite. He played the piano and harmonica. He turned the lights out and told ghost stories. My father was a welder and a mechanic.

And a handsome man—women swooned when he entered the room.

But one thing he didn’t do with us—take us to church. My dad did not believe in God. A self-proclaimed atheist, he’d say, “People think there is a God but there isn’t.”

A Father’s Day

At sixteen-years-old, I heard the gospel message at a church service. Jesus Christ, sent by His Father, died on a cross for me, He loved me completely.

Blank
Me and my father

The love I craved. I became a daughter of the Most High God. A child of the heavenly Father. No longer a spiritual orphan—a Daddy’s girl.

“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us that we should be called children of God!” (1 John 3:1 NIV).

I began praying for my dad to believe in God.

It wasn’t Father’s Day, but what a wonder father’s day it was! Party balloons and family lined the walls of the nursing home’s activity room. We celebrated my paternal grandmother’s birthday.

During the festivities, my dad approached me teary-eyed. “Did you hear the news? I became a Christian.” What I hoped for came true. I was thirty-two. A sixteen-year prayer answered.

In 2010, five days before Christmas, my father passed away. The man listed on line seven of my birth certificate was in the presence of my heavenly Father and his heavenly Father. His birth and name on file, documented in the Lamb’s book of life (Revelation 21:27).

Father Relationships

Earthly fathers may abandon us, physically or emotionally. Or we may never know our father because he left our world or this world.

A variety of fulfilling relationships occur with fathers, stepfathers, adopted fathers, or Blank, picture by Pixabay, design by Adobe Sparkfather-figures. Real blessings.

But regardless of our earthly father-child experience, God, the Father cannot be compared. God’s infinitely better qualified to occupy our blank spaces and fill our empty places with His love and presence.

The Bureau of Vital Statistics, Heaven’s Department of Life, has listed the Father’s name first, directly following our name when our certificate of live spiritual birth has been filed.

[bctt tweet=”“I love you.” Calvary’s cross reassures as God tenderly kisses our forehead. @FridayKaren #Father” username=”inspireafire”]

A Father who never leaves.

Do you know the heavenly Father? He wants to fill the blank spaces in your life.

Featured photo, and ocean and cross images, courtesy of Pixabay, design by Adobe Spark.

Karen Friday

Whether the spoken or written word, Karen thrives in moving an audience to experience laughter, tears, surprise, and deep reflection. She not only possesses an affection for words (just ask her family), but she also cherishes God’s Word. Karen is an award-winning writer who has published both devotions and articles with a mission to know Jesus more and make Him known. She contributes to several national sites while she works on her first non-fiction book. In the blogging world, she is referred to as “Girl Friday” where she shares a central message: you are never far from hope. And she considers her life as a pastor’s wife and women’s ministry leader a sacred calling. Karen and her husband Mike reside in East Tennessee and have two grown children and two grandchildren. The entire family is fond of the expression, “TGIF: Thank God it’s Friday.” They owe Monday an apology. Connect with her blog community, Hope is Among Us.

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