Daddy

 

The first time she used the word while praying, it startled me.  I’d never heard the word Daddy used like that.

 

“Daddy, I want to come to you today in love and gratitude.”

 

She was a college student working with us at Dry Creek Camp.  For now, I’ll call her “Ty.”

 

Ty was a great cabin counselor and a load of fun.  She taught me a great deal that summer.

 

I took the opportunity to ask about her unusual prayer salutation.  “Ty, why do you always use the word “Daddy” when praying to the Father?”

 

She smiled. “My earthly father left when I was a small child. I don’t remember much about him.   Because I never had a physical daddy, I came to revel in the love of my Heavenly Father and I’m very comfortable calling him ‘Daddy.’ ”

 

Ty’s summer at Dry Creek was probably twenty years ago, but I think of her story quite often.

 

This past Sunday was one of those days. The speaker in our Ugandan service shared about Jesus’ use of “Abba” when he prayed to his father.

 

Abba is simply the Aramaic endearment for Daddy. 

It’s a intimate close term. 

A good term for our Heavenly Father.

 

In this part of Africa, I’ve come to love our Cousins.  That’s how we refer to our Muslim friends.  

 

There’s so much I’m learning about Islam.

 

It seems that our Cousins do not refer or look at Allah as a loving Father.

 

They would never call him “Abba.”

But that’s what Jesus, whom I follow as the Son of God, called His Father.

 

And that’s good enough for me.

 

Postscript:

 

I keep up with Ty’s life through Facebook.  She married a fellow Dry Creek staffer and they have a wonderful life and family.  Her husband is a dedicated father, very worthy of the term of “Daddy.”

 

I hope she’s still referring to God as her “Daddy.”