"DADNESS"

Have you thanked Him?

Have you praised Him?

Have you made it your priority to agree and cooperate with Him today?

Have you taken that deep breath and listened for what He has for you today?

1 Timothy 2:1 (The Message)

^1-3The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.

One of the things that GOD has restored during my journey in recovery is my “dadness”.

Mind you during the 10 or so years of insanity that was the addiction, I had plenty of “badness” and not much “dadness”.

Author and Bible teacher Kay Arthur says, "Sin will take you further than you ever want to go." She is right. My sin took me so far from my kids it’s scary to think about these days.

But GOD, like only GOD can do, has turned my “badness into dadness”. He does things like that you know.

Isaiah 61:3

…he will give a crown of beauty for ashes...

And while I am no beauty by any means, I had turned my life into a huge pile of ash and GOD made something awesome from it. So I am thankful for the word and promise of GOD and so grateful GOD has allowed me to be a “dad” again. I will be honest I like the job.

There is joy in my relationships with my kids today. We talk. We laugh. We cry.

And while there are still many scars from the “dark time”, (that is what we call the addiction these days) they are healing; day by day, week by week, year by year.

GOD has demonstrated His wondrous restoration power in my life and my “dadness”. In fact, I have a few “extra”kids these days that call me dad. The more the merrier! I dig being dad.

This Sunday will be my 4^th Father’s Day sober and I am looking forward to it! That in itself is only by the grace of GOD.

But that is what GOD does when we return to Him. He restores those things that were lost. Even Father's Days.

Joel 2:25

Lord says, “I will give you back what you lost…

Ask yourself today.

Is there something in your life that needs restoring? Are there some relationships that could use some renovation? Is there a little badness in your life that could use a turn-around or a change?

Come back to GOD.

If he can turn my badness into "dadness", He surely will restore the broken things in your life if you make a change and ask Him. That is what GOD does.

Psalm 40:2-3

…he inclined to me and heard my cry.

He drew me up from the pit of destruction,

out of the miry bog,

and set my feet upon a rock,

making my steps secure.

He put a new song in my mouth…

Still not convinced?

Isaiah 59:11-12

...The Lord will always lead you. He will meet the needs of your soul in the dry times and give strength to your body. You will be like a garden that has enough water, like a well of water that never dries up. 12 And your cities which were destroyed long ago will be built again.

How about now?

He did it for me. He will for you too.

Have a blessed and Happy Father’s Day.

And before I forget,

THANKS BE TO GOD MY FATHER for restoring me to“dadness” again!

I love you all…

Freedom Church

Pastor GDelaney