Fathers

You ever listen to a song and hear it? Actually hear it like having the words speak to you. Having the words relate to the situation you are in and finally giving you clarity. You may have heard the song before, sang along to it and even interpret differently but this time you needed it most. You needed to hear it, you needed to listen. Now I know what you are thinking “how does this relate to fathers or stories of my father” well I’m getting there. Songs have a way to bring people together or tear them apart. Songs have ways of reaching people in certain ways for instance there is a song called “Piece by Piece” by Kelly Clarkson. The song is about the singer being left by her father and having her significant other pick up the pieces and show her what a father can be to their own children. Most people see the song that way. Others have grandfathers, stepfathers, or other father figures that they relate the song too. For me though I heard something else…

Now before I get started let me set the record straight, my father has been and still is a constant in my life. He is always there for me. He protects me, encourages me and supports me. My father is a great blessing to me. My father, Robert, raised me and when I needed him most he was there not only taking me in but my child as well. He is a great father and papa! In fact I have a few male role models that I look up to and get encourage from. My grandfathers are among them. All these fantastic men in my life showed me loved, independence, courage, strength and laughter.

I know, I know I’m ranting on so let me get back to the story of the song. So when I listened to the song I think about another Father. I think about the Almighty Father, God. I go and have been going to church my whole life. Not because I was told to go or I was forced. By no means am I telling you to go to church or to believe but I know there is a God. I know He cares and loves us. I have seen plenty of miraculous things among my own family that can only be the work of God. So I know He is there and He answers prayers.

So fast forward to when I’m older. I still go to church and I still believe. I have a fiancé and we are expecting a baby. Everything seemed fine. We were happy. Things started changing the further along I got. Once the baby was born I thought things would get back to normal, that they would be good again. I was wrong. The fiancé left me left us when my child was six months old. I thought he just needed a break but a few more months passed and still he wasn’t back. The so called fiancé stopped calling and providing support. I was devastated, heartbroken and lost. I didn’t know why. I couldn’t understand. How could a father leave his child? How could a father not care? I was in a bad place. I felt like giving up, like throwing in the towel. I was indeed at my lowest. I couldn’t do it anymore. I started to loose my faith. I stopped going to church, stopped singing. I was on auto pilot. I was there but I wasn’t, I was going through the motions.

My dad tried to help the best he could but he didn’t know how. My father, Robert took me and my daughter in. He let us stay with him. He helped my take care of my child through the process but he didn’t know how to heal my spirit. He was there for me and is still there for me till this day. I could see that I was causing him pain because he couldn’t help me. So I did something I hadn’t in a while. I prayed.

I asked God for something, anything letting me know that he was there and that he cared. I asked God for help for a way for me to move on. It was at that moment a video flashed on my phone. It was for a new song. So I listened to “Piece by Piece”. I know it’s not a Christian song but it spoke to me.

God picked me up. God showed me he cares and will be there. God is the one who stays. God loves me no matter what. God doesn’t ask for anything. God is and will always be.

So I am truly blessed because not only does my Father and Grandfathers look out for me and love me but so does my heavenly Father.