Daddy

We often talk about God as our Heavenly Father--and in general, we believe it. However, the gospel becomes so much more profound, simple, humbling and exalting when we think about what that means. When I was on my mission, for example, people would often ask us why God would do this or that, or what God thinks about a certain subject or action, and particularly how God considers them. It's a simple doctrine, but it would amaze people when we would explain that God is our Father, being the same kind of relationship that we share with our earthly parents.

When we came to 1 John chapter 4 in class, Bro. Griffin paused for a few minutes to talk about exactly that--how a father can feel such love for a child. When a baby is born, the father is inescapably lost in love with this little child. This child has, up to this point, done nothing to merit love or respect. It's been little more than several months of discomfort, expense, pain, again and again until it is born. It's done nothing for the father but inconvenienced him. Yet when that little nuisance sees daylight and cries--still just a hideous lump of flesh--the father can't help falling so perfectly in love that all of that simply melts away.

Even for several months after being born the child can't even reciprocate that love--doesn't know how to, doesn't care to. All it does is suck up love and attention from its parents. But over time--after countless irregular nights, messes, smells, and more expenses--when the child learns to show love in return, how unspeakably precious it is.

That is how God sees you.