When I was a Little Girl...

When I was a little girl

my daddy was tall and strong,

even stronger than my three big brothers.

Sometimes he growled like a bear,

then tickled me with his scratchy whiskers.

He always kept chocolate covered peanuts

in his file cabinet... it was our secret stash.

When I climbed up onto his lap for a Bible story,

he let me pull the pencils out of his shirt pocket

so they wouldn't poke me when we snuggled.

When I was a young girl

my daddy was smart and brave.

He knew about so many things

and could calculate complicated math in his head

faster than anyone else.

One time, an angry gas station owner

mistook my dad for a thief

and came after him with a gun.

I watched in amazement

as my dad threw the truck keys to my mom,

then snatched the gun from the man's hand

and twisted the man's arm behind his back.

It all had happened as fast as lightning.

My daddy used these and other experiences

as teaching tools

helping me to learn from God's Word.

When I was a girl in love,

my daddy was patient and understanding.

He spoke to my boyfriend

as a man and as a friend

about business ideas,

about politics,

about God's Word.

When we considered marriage,

my dad soothed my mother's worries

and assured us that she would be fine.

When I was a married woman,

my daddy was wise and encouraging.

He listened well, asked thoughtful questions,

and offered sound advice in a gentle manner.

His vast knowledge of the Bible

was a valuable source of insight

and good judgment.

The years have come and gone one by one

offering kindness throughout each changing season.

My daddy was tall and strong,

my daddy was smart and brave,

my daddy was patient and understanding,

my daddy was wise and encouraging...

...and now that I must be these things for him,

I feel small and unsure,

as if I have become a little girl again.

Perhaps it is an illusion

to think that I have ever really stopped

being a little girl...

"Because you are sons,

God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts,

the Spirit who calls out,

'Abba, Father!'" 

~Galatians 4:6