I’ve heard it said many times, “The only man a girl can ever really trust is her daddy.”  

Well, I wouldn’t know.  I didn’t have one that I could trust.  In fact, I barely had one at all.  He left me and my mom when I was only four to be with what would end up several women, including a relationship that isn’t even worth mentioning because it is so distorted.

My mom never remarried.  I had several uncles that tried to fill in as a father figure occasionally, but I am one of those gals that has never known what it is to have a good earthly father – an example of how a man should treat a woman, or how a father’s love is supposed to be experienced.

But what I did have was a loving and devoted mother and grandmother that raised me in the faith of Jesus.  And in that, I learned about my Heavenly Father.

And let me tell you, He is a good, good Father.

He has seen me through every twist and turn of my life, but in addition to just the daily victories, He blesses me with such good gifts.  And there is one in particular that I will always hold extra special in my heart.  

You see, my mom suffered from dementia and was almost completely blinded from an eye infection gone wrong.  She knew me, but we couldn’t have our usual conversations that we had always had.  She was my best friend and had been my whole life.

Because my day job involves being a CPA with my own firm, that means that my life involves being chained to a desk from January – April.  So when I could no longer keep Mom living with me, she went to live with her sister.  In order to still be able to see her and be with her during my busy season, it was our tradition to all meet at her favorite fast food restaurant once a week.

So that’s what we did.  It was our weekly gathering for tacos and burritos.  And mom’s supreme tostada.  She so enjoyed that.  But this week was going to be different.  This time, as my aunt went and gathered the sauces, napkins and straws, Mom and I sat at our table.  She looked directly at me – something she hadn’t done in a long time since her eyesight tricked her into thinking I was further to the side than I actually was – and she became instantly lucid.  

She looked directly at me and with such a peace and revelation – with the expression she had had all of those years before –  she said, “Why, Jennifer.  There you are!  You look so beautiful, Baby!”  I told her thank you so much.  She said it again, and then, just as fast as she became lucid, she was gone back into her mind.

What makes this so precious is that this encounter would be the last time that I saw her face to face.  Covid hit which prevented our meeting each week, her health deteriorated, and she passed just a few short months after that time at lunch.  I never got to speak with her again before she left this earth other than letting her hear my voice over the phone because of all of the visitation restrictions.

God, my Heavenly Father, knew that I was not going to get another chance to experience my mom on this side of Heaven, and He gave me that precious moment. He gave me that instant with my best friend.  He gave me a memory that brings me comfort and peace.  He didn’t have to.  He didn’t have to let me have this incredibly wonderful, loving moment, but He did.  In fact, He orchestrated it.  On purpose.

He is a good, good, GOOD Father.

He gives good gifts to His children.  And as a child of God, through accepting Jesus, you also receive His good gifts.

Take time today to think on those moments.  What moments has He given you that weren’t earned or deserved?  He gave them to you just because He loves you and wants to give you good gifts.  Thank Him for those times.  He is a good, good Father. ✝️