Her hair was up in a ponytail, her favorite dress =
tied with a bow.
Today was =
‘Daddy’s Day’ at school, and she couldn’t wait to go. =
But her mommy tried to tell her that she probably =
should stay home.
Why the kids =
might not understand if she went to school alone.
But =
she was not afraid; she knew just what to say.
What to tell her classmates of why he wasn’t there =
today.
But still her mother worried for her to face this =
day alone.
And that was why once =
again she tried to keep her daughter home.
But =
the little girl went to school, eager to tell them all. =
About a dad she never sees, a dad =
who never calls.
There =
were daddies along the wall in back for everyone to meet. =
Children squirming impatiently, =
anxious in their seats.
One by =
one the teacher called a student from the class.
To introduce their daddy as seconds slowly passed. =
At last the teacher called her name, every child =
turned to stare.
Each of them was =
searching for a man who wasn’t there.
"Where’s her daddy at?" she heard a boy =
call out..
"She probably =
doesn’t have one," another student dared to shout. =
And from somewhere near the back she heard a daddy =
say,
"Looks like another =
deadbeat dad, too busy to waste his day."
The =
words did not offend her as she smiled up at her Mom.
And looked back at her teacher who told her to go =
on.
And with hands behind her back, slowly she began to =
speak.
And out from the mouth of =
a child came words incredibly unique.
"My Daddy couldn’t be here because he lives so =
far away.
But I know he wishes he =
could be, since this is such a special day.
And =
though you cannot meet him, I wanted you to know.
All about my daddy, and how much he loves me so. =
He loved to tell me stories, he taught me to ride =
my bike.
He surprised me with =
pink roses, and taught me to fly a kite.
We =
used to share fudge sundaes, and ice cream in a cone.
And though you cannot see him, I’m not =
standing here alone.
"Cause my daddy’s always with me, even though =
we are apart
I know because he =
told me, he’ll forever be in my heart"
With =
that, her little hand reached up, and lay across her chest. =
Feeling her own heartbeat beneath =
her favorite dress.
And =
from somewhere in the crowd of dads her mother stood in tears. =
Proudly watching her daughter who =
was wise beyond her years.
For =
she stood up for the love of a man not in her life.
Doing what was best for her, doing what was right. =
And when she dropped her hand back down, staring =
straight into the crowd.
She =
finished with a voice so soft, but its message clear and loud. =
"I love my daddy very much, he’s my shining =
star.
And if he could, he’d be =
here, but heaven’s just too far.
You =
see he was a fireman and died just this past year
When he ran into a building without any doubt or =
fear.
But sometimes when I close my eyes, it’s like he =
never went away."
And then =
she closed her eyes and saw him there that day.
And to =
her mother’s amazement, she witnessed with surprise.
A room full of daddies and children, all starting =
to close their eyes.
Who =
knows what they saw before them, who knows what they felt inside. =
Perhaps for merely a second they =
saw him at her side.
"I know you’re with me Daddy," to =
the silence she called out.
And =
what happened next made believers, of those once filled with doubt. =
Not one in that room could explain it, for each of =
their eyes had been closed.
But =
there on the desk beside her, was a fragrant long-stemmed rose. =
And a child was blessed, if only for a moment, by =
the love of her shining bright star.
And given the gift of believing, that heaven is not =
that far.
~~
Dr Bob Griffin =
[email protected] www.grif.net =
"Jesus Knows Me, This I =
Love!"