Have I told you lately that I love you?
By Avichail
@Avichail (694)
Indonesia
March 29, 2007 12:54pm CST
My Dad and I rarely had long warm loving conversation as I grew up. Things happened and I blamed him for the turmoils in my family. I told myself I didn't need a father and I wanted so much to prove that I'd be alright without him. In fact, I did, or so I thought. It was only a few years ago I realized that I made it because God decided to intervene, took over my Dad's role in my life and pouring me with the love I never had from my Dad.
Slowly, I was enabled to see many things from God's perspectives, including about my Dad. He is not perfect in loving me, yet he is the perfect father for me. I inherit many good traits from him and those hard times with him have now finally turn into shaping me to better navigate through life. Am I wiser now? Not necessarily. But I know better that what we consider bad things can always be turned to be good ones in God's hands.
A few months ago, I decided to love my Dad more, no matter what. I decided that to love is a will from knowing how I have first been loved by God. To love is not a mere feeling that depends on circumstances. And... it has now been a month since we take breakfast together whenever possible, we exchanged short conversations before departing to our own business and he often asks his children's whereabouts whenever we are not at home. I know it well. It's his way of saying 'I love you'....
So myLotters, take decision to love today. Don't wait for your loved ones to love you first. It's not a take and give stuff because God has first loved you (nothing tops God's love) and now you are to share His love with your loved ones. Let's sing this lovely song together...=)
"Have I love you lately, that I love you?..... And at the end of the day, we should give thanks and pray, to the One, to the One..."
6 responses
@Norstar (694)
• India
5 May 07
It is heartening to know that there are responsible and sensible like you to feel the way you are feeling. Dad is a very special person in one's life. It a person we look forward to. It is a person we take support from (psychologically and otherwise). At times, he is our hero. At times, he is our teacher. He is our saviour, too. And at times, he is our friend, philosopher and guide.
@Avichail (694)
• Indonesia
16 Jun 07
Hello Norstar,
Thank you for your response and patience until I can now respond back to you...=) I agree that a father is a very special person, he can help either building or ruining his children's lives, encourage or discourage and so on. But one thing that a father can never be is a curse, no matter how bad he becomes, IF we can see it through the eyes of the graceful and almighty Lord, our Father in Heaven. It should bring us into deeper thinking why the Lord Jesus embodied Himself in the form of a man instead a woman. That tells me the significance of a father's role in one's life.
I now understand better that eventhough my father is certainly not perfect yet he is the perfect father for me because through Him I get to know the true and perfect love of the Lord...=)
@SoliDeoGloria (2)
• United States
5 May 07
Hi Grace,This is Jessica from A Pilgrim's Progress blog. Thanks so much for inviting me to see your page here! :) I've been wanting to ask you if you own a blog or a page online, cause I think you have so much good thoughts to share, so I'm glad you told me about this. And it's nice to get to know you more by reading your thoughts and writings.
Thanks for sharing this post about you and your dad. It's very touching. And it reminds me to not take my own dad for granted, to be thankful that God has graciously given me an earthly dad who love me and who has provided for me over the years. I love that you wrote "to love is not a mere feeling that depends on circumstances." And yes, isn't it awesome that God can and does use bad things for the good of His children (Romans 8:28). :-)
And oh, I joined this site as a member just so I could post this message to you (they wouldn't allow me otherwise). :-) By the way, you look pretty in your profile's picture. It's nice to be able to put a face to your name now. God bless you. :-)
"When God wants to define love, He used verbs, because love is something you do, much more than something you feel. It involves motion much more than it does fleeting emotions." --Lou Priolo
1 person likes this
@Avichail (694)
• Indonesia
5 May 07
Hi Jessica,
It's my pleasure to have another sister in Christ in my fellowship in myLot. You said you want to be like salt, let's try to do it together here...=) This link might help you to first navigate through the site http://mylotonly.blogspot.com/ and you can also read instructions from myLot.
And hey... I have actually saved that particular quote to be shared sometime later, LOL! And don't trust what your eyes see from my picture ;) Jess, I believe you have a lot more wonderful things to share here than me, may you continue to reach out others through whatever means available...=)
@craftwave (1338)
• United States
23 Apr 07
Grace you have such a wonderful testamony. I must tell you that sundays are the hardest days for me since Dan is not here to share them with me. It has done my heart good to read your posts. It speaks volumes that you can still praise God and see the good that has come from your situation. I wish more people were like you and would take the inititive to forgive and to love. Most people try to put the fruits of the Spirit into their lives and never realize that when you are filled with the Spriit and are guided by the Spirit that the fruits follow as a result. You are a testamony to that fact. Another benefit that comes from this situation is that now you can empthize with those who find themselves in similiar situations. While I can understand being poor I can't tell you how it feels to live with someone who has an addiction, let alone what it takes to make the first move toward forgiveness and love. And I'm positive that God will use that to reach someone. Blessings and prayers.
Grace
1 person likes this
@Avichail (694)
• Indonesia
23 Apr 07
Grace, allow me to share this quote that I recently read:
"You will not find one Godly man who came out when he went into of an affliction worse than it. Though for a little while he was shaken, yet, at last, he was better for an affliction. But, great many Godly men have been worse for their prosperity."
-Jeremiah Burroughs-
The trigger for this action of mine was because I lost someone whom I loved dearly due to my harsh attitudes towards him. Grieved at first but then as I accepted it as something that came from God alone, I repented from my sinful acts and realized this so called affliction will bring more good out of it than the sadness I had to go through. Psalm 119 has been my stronghold.
I am sure you will arrive one day, even sooner than you think to a place where you can boldly claim, "God gives, God takes away, blessed be the Lord!", by the grace of God...=)
@aidonia (4209)
• Greece
1 Apr 07
I'm glad you find the way not love again because i believe you never stop ,but reach your father again.Sometimes we go far from people that really we love and care and when we understand our mistake is too late.The father is one of the most important person in our life,and tell you this someone who never met her father at her life.Pray another on time to the God that gave you the wisdom to be near to your father again.
About the *I love you* I'm a person that say it very often.When other people feel shy to say it ,I never did.It;s a small sentences but can do miracles.You never know how important can be and how much the other person NEED to hear.It's hard to admit that we need hear it.So I just say it and when someone tell me why you use to say it I response by telling....Never don't feel bad or shy express and tell to the others any good feelings you have inside at your heart.There is nothing to shame about this.I wish I can teach this to my son too.
PS.Sorry again about my bad English but I'm sure as always you understand exactly what I want say.
@Avichail (694)
• Indonesia
2 Apr 07
Aidonia dear,
You have to stop saying sorry for your English! Anyone whose first language is not English would understand and be understanding about what other ESLer try to convey...=) If I don't quite get what you are telling me, I should be the one clarify that to you. Just like how two people communicate with the same language...=)
Thank you for your share. I should learn a lot from you. I used to think only of No Action Talk Only and that Action Speaks Louder Than Words. Those are not wrong, but I learn a new thing which is Action Will Definitely Speak Louder When Accompanies By Words. Too many times I didn't say what I had to say to whom I should have said...=)
And usually children learn many things from their parents either by their presence or absence. So, I think your son will take a lot of you as his own style. I read that boys sometimes 'disintegrate' themselves from their moms to confirm their identity as males (a process that girls don't have to go through, which is natural.
@paulsy (1263)
• Philippines
29 Mar 07
That's such a beautiful discussion! you are so lucky to still have your father to have breakfast with! My father passed away about 10 years ago, and to this very day, I still miss him so very much! When he was still with us when we were kids (my brothers and sisters) he would sit and talk with us for long hours, until we were all too sleepy to listen. We tried every way to avoid his long talks. But when I began life on my own, I realized how valuable his teachings are in life. I would encounter problems, and I would hear his voice echo in my mind, like he already knew way back then that I would go through these things in my life. I love my dad so much!
@kurtbiewald (2625)
• United States
29 Mar 07
hmmmmmmmmm
God can't bring you bowling
Maybe your Dad could
thats worth considering maybe
