Editorial March 4, 1996 Issue

"Daddy"

Mary Metzner Trammell

Many fathers are downright wonderful. They fully deserve the affectionate name that's often the first word a baby speaks: Da-Da, or Daddy. They work long hours—sometimes at two or three jobs—to help support the family. They help cook and clean and rock the kids to sleep. They inspire their children to be and do their best. Yet these dads never give up on their kids if they fall short. Naturally, fathers like this are pretty unforgettable. Ten, twenty, fifty years later, you still feel the glow of their love.

If you had such a dad, you probably loved him a lot. You trusted him. You knew he'd never knowingly let you down. And, with a dad like this in your background, you probably understand why so many people think of God as their divine Father. You understand why they love and trust Him. And why they feel so sure He'll never let them down.

On the other hand, maybe you didn't have a father like this. Maybe you feel the way a friend of mine does about God's fatherhood. "I hate to say it," he says, "but my father gave me nothing but grief. I'm still trying to get over some of the things he did to me when I was growing up. So, frankly, if God is going to be a 'father' to me, I'd rather do without Him!"

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