Moments that Make a Daddy

Had one of those great moments this morning - a moment to make a daddy. Some of you are thinking "What? Doesn't having kids make you a daddy?" No, not really. Just "having children" means you performed the biological function of procreation. Being a daddy implies an intimate relationship, made complete by the presence of joy, care, and love. I became a father (twice over) as my children were born. I am becoming a daddy as I nurture, love, and raise my children.

And while the process is continuous - each and every moment with my children is an opportunity to move closer to (or further from) "daddy" - I also find that there are key moments that come along and allow leaps forward. Some of these moments we know are consequential, like the day I had to tell Rachel that her mommy died. Others seem completely inconsequential, just a part of everyday life... like today's

So what was it? What was this EVENT which helped propel me from "father" in a giant leap toward "daddy"? Well... I cam upstairs to tell Rachel it was time to get dressed for camp, and she said, "Oh, man. I'm thirsty. You didn't give me a drink." My response? I pulled out my "obviously-pretending-to-be-angry" voice and said, "I didn't give you a drink? What do you mean? You never asked for a drink! And you know that when you get breakfast you can get yourself a drink..." Oh, and I was tickling her the whole time. She was laughing so hard she couldn't stand up.

So how do I know that this was one of those quantum-leap events? Because every time I stopped, she asked again and egged me on to do it again. And what do I think of it? I think that for those 5 minutes this morning, I achieved near God-like "daddy" status. And it was awesome.

Speaking of God-like, you do realize that God is more than just "Father" - He is also "Daddy". I think too often we get caught up in the "Our Father" image of God and forget the "My Daddy". In Mark 14:36, Jesus calls to God as "Abba Father". "Abba" is a term that implies intimacy, closeness, and familiarity. And the use of that term is not reserved for Christ alone, Romans 8:15 tells us that we too can call to God in this way.

There are countless articles on the web about the origin of Abba - most tie it back to a term borrowed into Hebrew from Aramaic. What strikes me the most about this term is its construction - it's a word a baby can say. Just like my girls both used to babble "dada" when they were babies, so too could an baby - one who is totally helpless and dependant on others for its care - babble "abba".

So, as we walk through this life, we can babble "Abba" and connect with the Creator of the universe, and like I did this morning, He can work through everyday moments to take quantum leaps from "Our Father" to "My Daddy". And that is truly awesome.