Letter to God the Father

This first letter is going to be difficult to send via the USPS. I am going to trust that God of all people doesn’t need the postal service to get it from me!

Dear God,

I am only now really coming to know you for who you are. You know infinitely (no pun intended) a lot more about me than I know about you. You’ve known I was coming. I’m sure you’ve probably wondered what took so long. Not that you didn’t already know this, but sometimes the haze takes a while to lift. What I would like to do is offer a couple of expressions of thanks, a few apologies and then ask for your help in a couple of areas.

Thank you, immensely, for being patient with me. You’ve removed my doubts, my fears and have permitted me to end my quest for validation from others. You found me when I needed you most. I was helpless and hurting, yet very much hungry from my own lack of spiritual feeding myself, but you became my provision. Finally, Jesus’ words are making sense.

Thank you, also, for opening my eyes to the joys of life. You have given me friends and family for which I am so grateful. These relationships are teaching me about you in unimaginable ways. Thank you for giving me the joy of marriage and fatherhood. I am still trying to figure both of them out, but it feels good to know I am on the right course.

Thank you for the offering in Jesus. It had to be painful to behold. I can’t imagine letting my son experience what to me is unthinkable, but what he did has made a difference. With the resurrection you sealed the victory. I can’t repay you. I can’t thank you enough, but I can give my life in the only way you want and I know how.

I am sorry that for so long I resisted what you really wanted from me.  You wanted my whole heart and I only gave you only a part of my mind. I was scared of being vulnerable. It was wrong. It was extremely shallow.

I am sorry that I have not been an answer to Jesus’ prayer in John 17. It pains me, that of all the prayers that Jesus uttered, that is one of the unanswered ones. That has to hurt.

I am sorry that my level of communication with you has been infantile. For too long I uttered words thinking you would never respond. I don’t know what I was doing, but I am certain it wasn’t what you envisioned for prayer.

Look God, I know you don’t need me to tell you this but because we are friends I know you don’t mind. Things are really messed up around here, both in the world and in the church. Shake things up down here please. Help us to come to our senses. Help us not ignore the pain people are experiencing. Help us to quit being wrapped up in ourselves. We need to be shook up in a bad way.

It’s time for me to get to work, so I need to draw this to a close, but let me close by asking that you continue to be patient with me and my family. I began the letter by thanking you for your patience with me and I want to close it by requesting the same. I am trying to do what’s within my power to work out my own salvation with fear and trembling, so that you can work with me as you see fit. Please, just be patient with me as you do!

Hope to hear from you soon!

Doug

P.S. Did Adam and Eve have bellybuttons?