Who's Your Daddy?

Mark 14:36 "Abba Father (Daddy)", Jesus said, "everything is possible for you."

Being a single mother is at times terrifying. You are attempting to be both mother and father, to be the sole financial provider for the family and at the same time keep every other aspect of your family life in order. I began my journey as a single mom in Jacksonville, Florida which is only a couple of hours north of Orlando. That first year, I decided to invest in annual passes to Disney World.

All I had to do on a Saturday morning was mention the idea of going to Disney World for the day and the kids were dressed, washed, straightened and in the car practically before I could finish my sentence. Disney became a paradise for us. It was a place where we left the world of schedules, stress and bills behind and just played. Often as I pulled back in our driveway after a long day of driving, playing and laughing, I realized my heart was at peace.

Today I am reading Romans 8:1-21. In this passage, Paul continually contrasts the life controlled by sin with the life controlled by God's Spirit living in the heart of a Christian. This section is a tender roll call of the incredible blessings that come from walking with Jesus.

• A Mind Filled With Life and Peace (Verse 6) - During those days as a single mom, my mind was typically filled with stress and uncertainty, not life and peace. What I didn't know then was that I didn't have to drive to Orlando to find peace. It was available to me 24/7. How? First I have to set the channel of my mind on Jesus (Verse 5). Once I've set it there and thrown away the remote, God fills my mind with life and peace.
• A Life (Verses 10-11) - Have you ever heard someone tell another to "get a life"? A life is exactly what I didn't have during those days as a single mom. I sought joy in a destination and didn't know, I could have a life right where I was. A life is precisely what these verses promise us we have through living daily in fellowship with God. Life is literally breathed into our spirit. God uses the same power that He used when He raised Jesus from the dead to resurrect our dead little hearts to full, abundant life.
• A Daddy (Verses 14-17) - One of the constant worries I had then was the impact on my kids of not having a father. Was I enough for them? These verses assure us that those who walk with God are adopted as His children (Verse 14). Our relationship with Him can be so tender that we call Him Daddy (Verse 15). Sweetly, God even whispers into our hearts, that our names were written on the adoption certificate in permanent ink. We have been written into His will as heirs! I probably wasn't enough for my kids but God was. I could have just as easily ran to Him for help as I ran to Orlando.

Thank you, Jesus, for giving me life, peace and a perfect Parent. Even though I'm remarried and my girls once again have a father, I will never be a perfect parent to them. Through walking the journey of my life with God, I can help them meet a Parent who is. Thank you for teaching me that by walking with You, I can bring Disney World to my home. Indeed everything is possible for you. Life and peace can live right here with us because You are my Daddy.