One of the things I love to do each night is to tuck my baby girl in. She just can't go to bed without me doing it and sometimes I think it's one of her favorite rituals.
I've been doing it since she was small so she is both accustomed to and expects me to tuck her in. In fact, if I haven't tucked her in, she will get out of her bed, come find me and ask me to do it. Tonight, I heard her footsteps coming near me while I was talking to a friend on the phone.
My baby had on my favorite shirt that says "My heart belongs to my daddy."
She came up to me with a needy undertone in her voice.
"Dad, I'm ready to go to bed, could you please come tuck me in?"
I immediately excused myself from the phone and went to give her my kisses and I love yous.
Sometimes I hear pain in her voice, and, even though I don't react angrily to many of the things I hear from her, I pray for my daughter because I know that many times she
gets caught in the middle of this situation. Even at 10, she knows I have her
best interest at heart, so, when she comes to me at night and asks me to tuck
her in, I know that is who she is when she doesn't feel the pressure to be different.
Right then and there I know that she knows I love her, she sees me as her protector
and I know she needs me just as much as I need her to know I would do anything to
keep her from feeling the pain she has to feel when there's a tug-of-war for her affections.
One day, my sister took her to gymnastics for me (she takes her for me on Mondays so she can get there early and I meet them there), and, when I pulled up, my daughter stayed in the car. She turned her head and smiled; then, told my sister "We can just sit here. Don't worry, he's gonna get out and come and open my door." She knows me so well.
Through my actions, I try to help my daughter know how important she is to me. She has to know that a man should earn her affections. I'm trying to set her expectations high. In fact, a man who doesn't show her the love and respect she deserves and can't invest in her doesn't deserve her. I even give her flowers for her birthday and Valentines Day gifts, so that when knuckleheads try to win her over with things, she won't be easily impressed because her dad did it first. I want her to understand that these things should be done unconditionally. They should always be done and, if they're not, something is wrong.
At ten years old, she already knows how valuable she is to me. It is my hope that being a father who loves his daughter and shows her affection will help her become a well-rounded woman who is able to fulfill her purpose and expect the best out of life.
I love this David!
ReplyDeleteAlthough I know our children need both parents, I also understand, as a woman who was reared without her father, that it is really difficult for a woman to understand her worth when she hasn't had a father to both show and tell her how amazing she is. Later, when she hears it for the first time from a man, she is both in awe as well as shock. It's much easier for girls to be manipulated when they aren't told to have high expectations of the people around them.
Don't get me wrong, I trust God and I know the Lord has a tendency to step in and show us what we're worth; however, we usually have a hard time receiving it from Him. It's a mess! God can heal, but it begins as a mess that takes years to repair.
Coincidently, this goes in line with the next phase in my blog; therefore, I've stopped spilling out my book and asking my group audience to cross-reference your blog. Your page views should pick up tremendously because, as you may already know, there are more than 210 people in our group.
It's all about healing one another and I want you to know that I both thank God for and honor you for starting this blog and keeping it going. We have a long way to go with respect to learning to lift one another and I hope that directing my audience to your blog would help everyone see that we have a responsibility to heal our nation by ministering good things to one another and moving forward.
We are not of them who draw back into destruction!
Keep your head up! The darkest hour is just before day!
There is not a child in the world who wouldn't want a Father like you!! What I admire most about you is that you don't allow negativity into your spirit. When i'm doubtful about anything I always refer back to this: Your daughter was sick in the hospital and the doctors were trying to rule out cancer. You was there every step of the way, but with a cheerful spirit! I remember asking you were you worried about the outcome because I was. You looked at me with that look you give and asked me: "why do we pray"? Then you returned your own answer and said: " for reasons such as these"! You also stated if you are in constant pray everyday as we are suspose to when nothing is wrong, then when things such as this arise God will then acknowledge your faithfulness and turn your devastation into victory!! Now tell me who wouldn't want a person like you in their everyday world?? You are loving, caring, and realistic. The people walking around trying to slander you has said this with their own mouth! They have stated time and time again how wonderful you are! The only reason why they are trying to drag you down is because they know your name is "VICTORY"!!! so its nothing but the work of the devil! What a shame and a pitty!! Dont worry about the fight because GOD has already won the WAR!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteWow, that was so powerful! I know that wasn't for me, but I really needed that!IT increased my faith! This is why we trust Him *touched*...Selah...there's simply nothing more to say.
ReplyDeleteWow David!! I, too, wish I had a relationship with my father like you have with your daughter. I can't believe you are fighting to maintain custody of your daughter. ANY mother should be able to see that it is crucial for a girl to maintain close relationship with their father, especially during there young years as the foundation for how they relate to boys/men is set. Most of us women who don't experience the loving father/daughter relationship look for that love in ALL the wrong places. They say you marry someone who reminds you of your father. But women tend to make mistakes along the way especially when our relationship with God is not solid or nonexistent. Keep doing what you are doing David and know that whatever the outcome of your fight, you have the VICTORY!! The relationship you've established with your daughter will last a lifetime. God never promised us that this life would be easy, but He does say that He will always be with us through the hard times. You win in the end!! Thank God for you and other godly men!!
ReplyDeleteDavid, I couldn't of said it any better. (snap snap) This is exactly what I've been saying all alone. I miss my Dad so much & I had the pleasure of him showing me my worth!!! Keep showering & loving your little girl the rewards are AWESOME!! xoxoxo!!
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