Who's Your Daddy?........................A short story.

When he woke up this morning, the thought of changing someone’s life didn’t enter his mind. He was more focused on just how to live through the day without eating too much food, or losing his temper “one more time” with his kids, or doing the right thing as far as his wife was concerned. He’s fallen into a rut with his approach to life. It gnaws at him slowly until it sucks the life out of him. Living to please others and make no mistakes just doesn’t work too well. It usually ends in doing all the things we strive to avoid.
More out of habit than any actual virtue, Mike gets on his knees as he crawls out of bed. His prayers have been pruned. They used to be long, asking for many things to work out certain ways and for God to protect his wife and kids, to get God to do what Mike wants God to do. Nowadays, Mike says so much more with so much less. “Lord, please remove my fears and direct my attention to what it is you would have me be. I pray that you grant me wisdom and knowledge of your will and the power to carry it out”. No plea’s for protection or for blessings and the like. He has come to a point of knowledge, (or is it wisdom?), where he “knows” God will protect his family. He knows God is in control of all things and will be intimately involved in directing each of his children’s lives. He knows his wife is in the palm of HIS hand; and he knows that he is too.
It is after this habitual movement of his that Mike snaps out of it and realizes again, for today, that following God is not going to happen by trying to “be good”. A true Christian is not a man trying to be good or follow rules from the good book. In fact, no man can decide to “be” a Christian. Mike is a Christian because he was chosen by God to be one. It is God who has directed him in his life, and it will be God who keeps him on the right path. All of his effort need not be given to trying to be good or do right. Instead, all of his efforts can go into striving after guidance. What will we be doing today Lord? Show me the way. All the asking for so many things from God have been whittled away, pruned from his prayers. The instrument used to wean Mike off of asking for things is trust. As this trust in the Father has grown, he has become more and more confident in HIS love for Mike. It is a matter of fact that his heavenly Father is always looking out for him at all times. Just as his own boy Danny used to hold his hand as they walked down the sidewalk; this tiny little palm with miniscule fingers attached to it, grasping his hulk of a hand in comparison as they stroll along. Not once did Danny think his daddy didn’t know where they were going, or that daddy would let his hand go and run away leaving him to fend for himself. Even the thought of it is absurd! There never was a question! Daddy helps me; daddy…. is my daddy! If daddy brings me somewhere it’s because I need to be there. I’m going wherever dad says!
Mike leaves the house this morning with exhilarating thoughts of who it is that God is going to put in his path today. He knows that lives can be changed today. People who come in contact with him can be changed for the better. Not because of who he is in and of himself, but because he is an ambassador of the one true God. Wherever he goes, God goes with him. Yes, he is confident that lives will be affected today. As confident as a little boy is that daddy loves him……………….