He Calls Me Daughter
Precious photo credit to my friend Caris - on instagram @thisgraceandbeauty
Out of desperation, a father who was losing his child, knelt before Jesus and asked him for help. He believed that if he’d lay his hand on his daughter, she’d live. Jesus, filled with compassion, got up and headed towards this man’s home.
Just then, a woman who’d been bleeding and very sick for 12 years came to Jesus. She stretched her hand out, believing she could simply touch the clothing on his body and she’d be free from her years of suffering.
Jesus turned and saw this woman who was desperate, who was sick, but even more than that - he saw HIS daughter. “Take heart daughter, your faith has healed you” he said. In that very moment, the woman was miraculously healed.
I was recently encouraged to reflect on this question; How does God see your story? I’d been wrestling with some challenging moments I had navigated through. Pockets of pain would occasionally catch me off guard, bubbling up still, years later. So I invited God into those memories asking, what do you see?
That Sunday morning, I heard the beginning of His answer. My pastor (not knowing the questions I was asking) said, “God sees his family”. He then shared the story in Matthew 9, when Jesus healed the woman who was bleeding. The words “Take heart daughter, your faith has healed you” pierced deeply within my soul. They unveiled the achy places in need of healing.
I’m thankful my parents raised us in church. It was a priority for them to be there all the time, Sunday morning and night, Wednesday night’s and usually an extra evening for prayer or choir practice. I grew up knowing that I’m a child of God, a daughter of the King. I’ve heard this more times than I can count.
But this time as an adult, the truth in the word daughter, touched the memories I’d been wrestling with, and began to hug my achy spots. It challenged my sometimes imbalance of knowing God as my Lord and Judge and forgetting his intimate love as a Father.
Something beautiful took place when at home on my knees I reached out to Him and let my tears flow into puddles on the ground, vulnerably praying, “Daddy, please help me.”
Whether we have a healthy relationship or not with our earthly father's, there is a place in all of our hearts that longs to be touched by our heavenly Father - not just our Lord and Savior - our Daddy.
I grew up in a church with great emphasis on reverence, respect and holiness, which I agree are important. But somewhere along the way, I lost a balanced perspective of who God is.
It feels uncomfortable to me when I hear a preacher referring to God as Daddy. Sometimes I roll my eyes on the inside. But that doesn’t make them wrong. It actually reveals within me a need to surrender to that vulnerable place. That place where it’s natural to say, “Daddy, help me” or “Daddy, I love you.” If the thought of saying those words to God cause you discomfort - I invite you to join me in exploring why and then practice saying them more.
As I spent time praying, I felt like God was holding me and pointing to circumstances in my past. He showed me with affection that he saw me. He saw - His daughter.
I had felt betrayed and deceived by different persons that should’ve been safe. I knew that God was helping me through each of those times. But now, I could close my eyes and really see Him right there. Feeling the safety of His embrace, I heard him saying, “My sweet daughter, I’m holding you and I won’t let go.”
The revelation of what it means to hear him call me his daughter, seemed to break a barrier and let deeper healing rush in.
God sees His family, he does not leave us. There is power in the name, child of God. There is confidence that comes, knowing we are His! What the enemy meant for evil to destroy us, God is now using for good! (Genesis 50:20)
Our heavenly Father, sees our pain and it grieves him...he cradles us in his arms fully knowing the suffering. He never looked away! His Holy Spirit breathes hope and whispers truth. “I know the plans I have for you my child, to give you hope - for you to prosper.” (Jeremiah 29:11)
He also has full awareness of eternity, in a way that we can’t wrap our minds around. He knows that this suffering is just a little while and that our inheritance of endless time together awaits us! He has a greater perspective, that I long to live in.
It was faith in God that strengthened me as a little girl, kept my heart soft, enabling me to show love and forgiveness. Now it’s that same faith, along with deeper revelation of who He is and who He says I am, that continues to heal.
He is redeeming my story and giving me eyes to see His healing power that weaves through each moment in my past and present.
Maybe your earthly parents don't reach out in desperation to Jesus for you? Maybe there are other persons in your life who should’ve been safe, but instead you have scars to show they weren’t?
You’re ALWAYS a priority to your Heavenly Father. I believe that just as the father losing his daughter sought out Jesus, your heavenly Father seeks you out. He knows your pain and every need.
Though there will still be suffering on this side of heaven - you are never alone. Yes even in the midst of riots, wars, famine, sickness and natural disasters - He still sees YOU. He calls you His child, and in faith you can reach to your Father, and know He will respond in love.
Sometimes, we intentionally reach out to touch Him. Other times, our arms are flailing as we gasp for air, just trying to say His name. Either way - He’s waiting with arms to embrace us.
Do you have memories that have been forgiven, yet still today they bubble up and feel achy? I’d encourage you to invite God into those places, allowing him to show you how He sees your story.
Each time a memory pops up for me, that causes me to wince, I picture my Heavenly Father holding me and I rest in who He is and who He says I am!
With a grateful heart, I breathe in His gift of healing. My heart finds comfort as I remember that I’m headed towards eternity with my Daddy, where there will be no pain, no sorrow! Ahh…it’s coming friends and with that promise we can find strength to press on!
I pray that each of us will grow in our revelation of what it means to be named a child of God. With confidence we can trust in these words and let them bring a healing smile to our face - He calls me daughter!
Ephesians 3:14-21
“For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”
Hi, I’m Jaime!
Prayer warrior, writer, and speaker in love with Jesus, my Jed, and our 3 Rowdy Redcays. Friend, I long to see you set free. Delivered from the chains that hold you back, compelled to navigate this journey as a fearless warrior. Where does that happen? In the embrace of Jesus!
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