It’s Holy Week. A time of reflection on the death, burial, and resurrection of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Or, to quote John the Baptist, a time to “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes [took] away the sin of the World.” So, let’s pause from the hustle and bustle of Easter preparations and remember what Easter is about.
According to Jesus Himself, a large part of His mission here on Earth was to “reveal the Father.” He also said that if we have seen Him (Jesus), we have seen the Father. In other words, Jesus came to show us what our Heavenly Father thinks and acts like. And what Jesus demonstrated was a loving Father who counts the hairs on our heads instead of counting our sins. A Father who is always on our side, and nothing we can do can change His mind about us. But most of us are a long way from seeing Him as that.
I went to a trauma-focused conference last week. The keynote speaker was Gaelin Elmore, a former foster child and trauma survivor who talked about how a sense of belonging can help heal trauma. It was a great talk, but what resonated with me the most was the story of his high school coach, who gave him a safe place to live and a sense of belonging. He said his coach had told him, “I will be here in whatever capacity you will allow me to be.” Gaelin said he wished he would have allowed his coach to be there for him like a father, but at that time, his trauma wouldn’t allow him to trust. I think that’s where many of us are with God.
Brennan Manning said that of all the gifts Christ died to give us, the greatest is the right to have the Abba experience. Abba is what Jesus called God. In Aramaic, Abba means Daddy. It’s a term of loving, trusting endearment. Jesus also said that His Abba is our Abba, and He longed for us to experience God intimately.
I was blessed to have a fantastic stepfather, who I consider my Daddy. He loved me when I was at my worst, and his love helped me heal from the trauma of my bio-dad. He would have laid down and let a truck run over him if he thought it would help me. I never had to be afraid of telling him anything because he always, and I mean always, believed the best about me. And he proved, again and again, that he was willing to stake his finances and his reputation to back me. I had the Abba experience with my stepfather. I believed in his love for me and knew if he said he would do something, I could trust his word 100%. It gave me that sense of safety and belonging.
Gaelin Elmore was right; knowing we are safe and loved heals trauma. And that’s what our Heavenly Abba wants to give us. And, like Gaelin’s coach, He will be there for us in whatever capacity we allow Him to be. If we want a distant God, that’s the experience we will have, even though He will always be right there. But if we want the Abba experience Jesus died to give us, we are opening ourselves up to the love of a Daddy that can heal whatever trauma this world has thrown at us.
I, for one, desire the Abba experience. I want to know Him as my Heavenly Daddy. I want to run into His arms when I rejoice and when I fail. I want to know that if He says He will do something, I can trust His word 100%. And, as He often reminds me, He is even better than my earthly Dad. Hard to comprehend, but true.
Next time you pray, “Our Father who is in Heaven,” I want you to reflect on what that really means. Remember that the best gift we can give Jesus for all He has done for us is to accept His Abba as our own. Happy Easter!
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