One
of my favorite authors, Donald Miller, compares having a father to owning a
dragon. “For me a father is nothing more
than a character in a fairytale. I know fathers are not like dragons in that
fathers actually exist, but I don’t remember feeling that a father existed for
me…I don’t say this out of self-pity, because in a way I don’t miss having a
father any more than I miss having a dragon. But in another way, I find myself
wondering if I missed out on something important.”The title of this blog "Life With A Dragon" describes the greatest thing that has ever happened in my life. It's a story of the painful failure of my fatherly figures that is currently being redeemed by the existence of God, the Father, who has delicately sewn my story to His.
My recognition of Jesus as the Life Giver in the end of my high school years fundamentally changed every piece of how I lived my life. Here is what I consistently come away with when I let myself be fathered by this Father:
-Purpose
-Worth
-Humanness
-Fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, self-control
-A proper perspective of the reality of dating, work, rest, recreation, and family
To me, an earthly father will always be analogous to owning a dragon, but I don't own a dragon. I won't ever own a dragon.
What I have is a life with a Father. It's not a formula that leads to the list above - it's a story. A story of redemptive hope in each broken facet of our lives that comes through Jesus' perfect life, sacrificial death, and the follow through of His promised resurrection. A reality where Jesus is always King.
This is the story that affects everything I'll write in this blog.
Written while listening to "He knows my name":
I have a Maker
He formed my heart
Before even time began
My life was in his hands
I have a Father
He calls me His own
He'll never leave me
No matter where I go
He knows my name
He knows my every thought
He sees each tear that falls
And He hears me when I call
