Dads, Daughters, and Donuts

My daughter's school has a "sweet" program to give dads a chance to be involved with their children at school. They call it Donuts with Dad. It's a 20 minute time early in the morning on a particular day when fathers can bring their children to school and eat donuts with them while they read books in the library. Today was my chance to go and spend some time with my daughter, Erin. As we walked through the hallways and met her teachers she drug me along by the hand and pointed everyone we passed in my direction. I felt like a rockstar.


That's an unusual feeling for me in school hallways. When I was growing up, my family moved around a lot because my father was a military chaplain. I was a shy child and not always socially adept. Let's just say no one would have ever described me as popular...if they noticed me at all. I know I am not the only one who ever felt like that. As a matter of fact, I would hazard to say most of us have been there at one time or another. High school was especially difficult because we moved twice in those four years. I did my freshman and sophomore years in Jacksonville, Florida; my junior year in Lancaster, Texas; and my senior year at Kubasaki High School in Okinawa (Class of 86). So I was generally lost in the crowd. And often when I was noticed, it wasn't particularly pleasant. Truth is, I was probably too shy to give most people a chance to get to know me.

I know many people who walk through the halls of life feeling as isolated and unnoticed as I often felt during my school years. People who don't really fit in and feel almost invisible. Here's the good news. No one is invisible, unwanted or without value in the eyes of God. It sounds cliche', but I assure you if you will turn toward God you will find Him beaming over you. Zephaniah 3:17 is one of my wife's favorite verses. It says, "The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing."

So, when you feel alone, unwanted, invisible, unloved and unlovable; look toward the one who knows how many hairs you have on your head (or don't have in my case.) Look toward God who knows everything you have ever done, for good or for bad, and loves you anyway. You don't have to measure up, act up, cozy up or work up. He sees past our weaknesses, faults, bad choices, and masks. He doesn't value us because we are rich, adorable, talented, popular or perfect. He loves us -He loves YOU- because He is love. Your value is not established by the sum of your desirable attributes or friends. Your value has been established by Jesus' willingness to give his life for you. His great sacrifice on our behalf puts us all on an even playing field of value. No one could be worth more than what Jesus gave for us. I thank you, God, for your infinite, unmerited love. Blessings!