Today, I am amazed. I am amazed at love. I went and saw a movie tonight with my friend. It was called “If I Stay” and portrayed a young woman with a love of music and of course she fell in love and there were family dynamics and such—go see it if you like but that’s not my point….

Towards the end of the movie, the girl finds something out about her father that changes everything. You see, up to that point in her life, this girl had thought her father quit his love of playing in a band because of her brother, when in reality, it was because he saw his daughter and how she was so talented in playing the cello that he wanted to be able to give her more. He saw that intrinsic value in his daughter that prompted him to make a sacrifice so he could give her more. It changed everything for her.

Recently, I experienced a similar occurrence. As I was conversing with my mom about something, the topic of my dad’s motorcycle came up. My mom mentioned something about him not having it anymore and continued in the conversation. However, this was news to me as we were not living in the same city anymore. When I asked her why it was gone she said he sold it and when I asked why he sold it she paused, and then said, “well… to pay for your school.” Wow. Just let that sink in for a minute. My dad, who dreamed of having a motorcycle when he was a kid and who worked hard to get that motorcycle and fix it up and take care of it, he sold that motorcycle for ME. His daughter. Whom he loves. I am blown away at the sacrifice and the love all wrapped into that one action. With that one sacrifice, he not only told me that he loved me but he also told me that he believes in me. He believes that I will succeed and that him paying for my school will be a good investment. He also showed me my worth, that no possession, no matter how hard he worked for it or how much care he put into it, he knows that I am more valuable than that. I am his daughter, and he loves me!

I am so blown away at what my earthly father did out of his love and yet, my heavenly father did something even greater, and he didn’t do it just for me, he did it for all of his children. He didn’t just sacrifice his hobby or his favorite vehicle, he sacrificed his own son. Not only did he sacrifice his only son, his son became one of us for about 30 years and lived, really lived and moved and breathed and experienced human life AND died so we could also be called children. So that we could also share that same love and experience the deep joy that comes with knowing that level of love and care.

If I can be so amazed and in tears of joy at how insanely blessed I am to have a father who loves me enough to sell his motorcycle so I can finish my last semester of college, how much more should I be amazed, in awe, completely blown away that I have a father who loves me even more than that?!

Update:

After posting this last night, I received an email this morning with this verse and knew that I had to immediately attach it.

Romans 8:32 “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?”

AMEN!