Father, I Love You
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SEND THE LIGHT Light must be connected to a power source. God is the source: plug in and turn on. It is such a delight to view, to walk in, to sit by, and to drink in the beauty of Your oceans, Father. The first thing I do when I get to visit Your creation is to drink in the beauty. I notice how the beach gently yields to the superiority of the billowing waves, yet it endures the pressure placed on it. The beach is not damaged; it just changes as it is directed by the power of the water. The sand to the water, the water to the sand, intermingled into a beautiful sight: constantly changing, constantly interacting. This reminds me of Your omnipotence, Father. I must yield to Your power. I will not be damaged; however, I will be changed and conform to Your direction. It is a natural thing for Your child to be continually interacting with You, waiting for the change of tides and moving in accordance with Your directing. The next thing I do, Father, is to walk the beach—barefooted if possible: the sand is so cool and refreshing. It is soft and gentle to the touch, and clings to the pressures of my footsteps, not leaving unless I ”brush” it off. Your Word is much like this to me, Father: refreshing, soft, gentle, but many times has a sharp object which pierces and clings to my heart—it hurts at times because it is convicting, but, unlike the sand, in this case, I dare not become foolish and “brush it off.” While walking on the beach, I notice the breeze. It isn’t “freezing.” It is cold and this chill makes me feel alive. I possibly feel more alive in Your nature than I do in the earthly existence I have tried to build on my own. This is as it should be. It is Your pure creation speaking to another of Your creations. It is so easy to commune with You in this situation. The world in the background and You and Your beauty before me, each thought of You making me even more alive inside. I cannot go to the ocean without sitting and watching the sun go down over the ocean. There is this majestic light stretching from the sinking sun, reaching out to me across the water surface directly to my line of vision. I can move a distance away from it or in any direction and the light is always reaching out to me--to my line of vision. The only way I can lose sight of the light is to turn away or to shut my eyes to it. The light is still there, I have just temporarily removed myself from the picture. Oh, Father, how much this is like You. You cast a continual light of eternal salvation in my direction. Your light is always there, just for me. The length of the light and the direction is constant. The only variable seems to be me. Do I look toward the light? Do I stay in the light’s path? Or do I turn away at times? We all turn away at times, Father. It is our human nature. You have given the gift of free will, but at times, this “will” does get in the way of the light You are sending. There is a break in the connection. Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life (John 8:12). Oh, Father, thank You for continuing to send Your light: the light of Your Word, the light of Your promises, the light of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Of one thing I can be sure, once I became Your child, I always have Your light to illuminate the darkness. All I have to do is to glory in it. Thank You for these reminders of Your faithfulness and love. I love You.
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About the Book
Father I Love You. “…Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.” --Matthew 6:26-29 In Matthew 6:26-29, Christ looks beyond the obviousness of the lilies. He doesn’t mention how beautiful they are or what color they are. In fact, He doesn’t mention anything “obvious” about them. Instead, Christ goes to the “heart” and deeper attributes of the flowers. He considers their place in all of Creation. The letters in this book are written to and about our Heavenly Father and His Creation. They describe times of praise, petition, and inspiration. Each is written to be shared with the Giver of all things good and may serve as a daily devotional or a brief inspiration to those who only have a few moments to meditate on His Word. It is the prayer of the author that these pages will inspire others to do as Christ commands and to look beyond the “obvious” by providing examples of a different way to look at what is observed on a daily basis. The author encourages the reader to convert what is merely observed into what God, as shared in His Word, inspires us to feel and apply to our lives for inspirational and spiritual growth. “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditations of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer.” –Psalms 19:14
About the Author
Joyce E. Chapman is a member of Pleasant Valley Baptist Church in Chico, California, and has been a Christian since 1946. She received her Bachelor of Arts and Master’s degrees in Education from California State University, Chico. She taught high school and college classes until retiring in 2002. During that time, Joyce developed and coordinated the Court Reporting Program for Butte College and authored five textbooks. As a teacher, Joyce focused her energy towards discovery of what inspires a student to perform well. It was her consideration of her students, her prayer for God’s guidance and inspiration, and her application of her God-given understanding of her students that earned her the respect and admiration of students, faculty, and her community. It is this same theme that she applies in her letters published in this book and her spiritual life.