There’s a heartwarming story gaining traction on the Internet about a father trying to connect with his son during the recent high school shooting in Denver.
It’s a pretty powerful story told through simple text messages between the father and his son, who is inside the school. It’s a seemingly calm exchange despite the chaos and the uncertainty of the situation.
For me, the theme of the conversation is a father’s restless pursuit of his son.
As they text, the son says he’ll check in with his dad every five minutes. And at one point, as the father gets closer, he texts the message: “Ok I am here and will be here. Until I have you.”
I don’t know this dad. But I can relate to him. I have three sons who mean the world to me, and I can relate to his concern for his child’s well being and that longing to be with that child to comfort him in a time of confusion and fear.
Not all of us are blessed to have an earthly dad like this kid. Someone who will do anything he can to get to you and comfort you. I am so thankful for their story.
As a Christian blogger, how can I not address the spiritual application of this story?
Again, I don’t know this dad. I don’t know his religion or his politics or anything. All I know, from this little exchange, is that his love for his son and his relentless pursuit fits with the way I believe God loves and pursues us.
God is the Master of the Universe, the Creator of all things. But He’s also a parent.
He’s our Heavenly Father. He’s always there. He’s there to celebrate with us when we’re on the mountaintop and to hold us and comfort us when we’re in the lowest of valleys. He wants us to look for Him and cling to Him. And no matter how much we ignore Him, run from Him, fail to acknowledge Him, or spit in His face, God our Father pursues us because He loves us.
And, just like the dad in this story, He longs to be with His kids.
Do you see God as a parent working in your life?
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