Today is the second anniversary of the passing of my Dad. It is a strange day. I say strange because I have so many mixed emotions. There is great sadness, because I miss him; happiness, because he is now in heaven; thankfulness, because I had him for so long; and joyful anticipation, because I will see him again one day. In my family, my Dad was my champion. I always knew that he loved me. He was the one that ‘got me’; that desired the best for me; would forgive me in a heartbeat; and valued his relationship with me so much that he never hesitated to ask my forgiveness. He was interested in everything I did. He never failed to inquire about my family. If he didn’t agree with me, he would say so, but love me anyway. He never had to beat me down with coldness, hash words, or pride. He never put a condition upon his loving me. He was free to love, and I felt that freedom and knew that I had it too.  When my Dad died we were not as close as we had been. There had been family squabbles and a very distinct failure to love on many sides. It pained me to be away from my Dad, but I knew that it was what was needed in my life. This time apart from him opened the door to my exploring another parent/child relationship – that of my faith in God.

As sad as I was to lose my father, when he passed I made a vital discovery – I was not fatherless. I had a heavenly father. And the best part was that He could not only replace the love I lost, but He provided far in excess of what I needed. He always had, and He always would.

I know that my Dad – a praying man whose greatest desire was that all of his children have their own relationship with God – would have had a hard time staying quiet throughout this time apart from me. Now when I look back, I acknowledge that time apart as another selfless way he loved me. He stepped aside, so a heavenly father could step in. 

If you have missed out on having a father figure, and yearn for love, please take a moment to think about what having a heavenly father could bring to your life. Trust me – you’re missing out on the perfect parent. A great place to start learning about God as a heavenly father: http://www.fathersloveletter.com/video.html

Read about my character, Ani’s search for a father in my latest release A New Resolution: http://www.ucbdirect.com.au/items/miscellaneous/11688BKP-detail.htm

In Memory of my Dad:
Thomas John Venables
06.05.1930 to 28.02.2011

(Click Box below for photograph)