Father to the Fatherless

Late last night I finally found the time to watch the movie Courageous and wept for my daughters.  Now that their father has chosen to leave his family and start another with someone else they are in all sense of the word left fatherless.  He loves them, sends gifts, provides for their care, but he isn't there for birthdays, Christmas, swim meets, he wasn't there to see God open their hearts and save them.  He won't be there to see them baptised, or go to their first formal, the mile stones that they are making as young women he is missing it all.  He is not there to encourage them and protect them until God shows us His will for their lives,he won't be there to make sure some young man is the right one for them.  When he walked away from me and our marriage he walked away from them too.   When trials come up with one of the girls he is the first to run the other way, saying there is nothing he can do.

    

Watching Courageous broke my heart, and left me seeking God's face. "Father I can't change his heart I can't make him be what you called him to be. You are sovereign Lord, and this is the place that you have us for now, how can I fill in the gap for my daughters father, how can I be both to them.  How can I be the spiritual leader he is suppose to be, how can I be wise and protect them from the evils of this world?   How can I teach them not to be angry and bitter toward their father but forgive and love him? How can I be both, when I so often fail in my own role as mother?"

Then it came to me this morning. "I am the Father to the Fatherless"

A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation. (Psalm 68:5)

     

God alone is able to defend, protect and guide my daughters.  He is their Heavenly Father, who loves them more than any earthly father ever could.   He will use me, He will use their grandfather, He will use pastors, He will use Godly men, that are friends and are in our church.  He will be their Father.  

Will they miss that close earthly relationship like I have with my own father, the talks, birthdays, special moments that can never be gotten back? Yes, both they and he will. However, I rest in this, were it really counts, their spiritual growth and protection God will be their Father and He provide for them.

     

I hope that God will use this movie to cause Godly men to think and realize their role, not only to their own families, but as the movie showed the fatherless ones too.  That their example, their kind word, their encouragement and compassion to a child without a father just may the the only true Godly husband and father a child will see.

     

My hope is that one day, God will call out to my daughters father,bring him to repentance, and remind him of his purpose and role in their lives, that it is not enough to just love them but he is called to father them, this is our prayer. Until then we will continue on our journey home resting in the knowledge that He is sovereign, has already provided and the He promised to be a Father to the Fatherless.

My own father Timothy Murrell is a courageous man of God

Had the honor of baptizing me,1979 When I was 8 years old.

This was a moment I have never forgotten.