My Abba Father, My Daddy
Moments Etched On My Heart
Barbara L’Italien, Guest Writer
TODAY’S TREASURE
As I thought about writing a week of devotions for Daily Treasure, I wanted to write about those moments that were important to me in my walk with Jesus. One of the first verses in the Bible that rocked my world was this passage in Psalms.
I am the youngest of five children. I have two older brothers and two older sisters. My mother was amazing. She was one of eleven children and was a dedicated mother to us. Circumstances caused her to have to get a full-time job when I was about five years old. Despite all she had on her plate, she made sure we were safe in a home, had food to eat, and always left the house in clean clothes, with our faces washed and our hair combed. As she aged, her dedication to us returned tenfold as we cared for her. She would often say, “Where would I be without my children?” In 1990, she gifted each of us on our birthday with a book titled Love You Forever by Robert Munsch. It still brings tears to my eyes when I think about the message shared in this book, one that reflected her love and appreciation towards our family.
My father was rarely around, and when he was, it was more painful than joyful. I was 11 years old when my Mom and siblings had the courage to tell him, “No more.” No more running around and returning to the house when he had nowhere else to go. It was a hard time. I was old enough to know what was happening was wrong but young enough that I still loved my father. He packed and left. I didn’t hear from him again for 26 years. No letters, cards, calls. Nothing.
When I was eighteen, I met my now, husband, Jerry. As we dated, Jerry surrendered his life to Christ, and I was left with a choice: Do I embrace a relationship with God, whom I feel I held somewhat responsible for growing up without a father, and stay in this relationship, or do I walk away? Knowing I was struggling, friends of Jerry’s offered to help me with my questions about God. They explained God’s plan of salvation to me, and that night, I prayed and asked God to forgive me of my sins and become the Lord of my life. That night I became a child of God. I still had doubts and struggles, but I read my Bible, started going to church, and surrounded myself with people going in the same direction. Then one night - I can remember it as if it were yesterday- I read Psalm 68:5: “God is the father to the fatherless AND a defender of the widow.”
I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that all of those years my father had abandoned me, I had a Father who cared for me in ways no earthly father could have. He protected me in places no earthly father would have found me. I still had the “why” questions pop up as I grew in my faith, but I never doubted that I was never alone in those painful years. And the whipped cream and cherry on top of it all, I found such comfort in knowing God was the defender of my Momma. She was a woman of faith, and there were times when only God could have met the needs we had. His fingerprints of provision, protection, and sustained health were everywhere as I look back over some of the most challenging times for our family.
Psalm 68:5 is a verse I will always treasure as a “moment etched on my heart.”
LIFE-GIVING ENCOURAGEMENT
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Sharon W. Betters is a mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, pastor’s wife, and cofounder of MARKINC Ministries, where she is the Director of Resource Development. Sharon is the author of several books, including Treasures of Encouragement, Treasures in Darkness, and co-author with Susan Hunt of Aging with Grace. She is the co-host of the Help & Hope podcast and writes Daily Treasure, an online devotional.
Contact Sharon with comments or questions at dailytreasure@markinc.org.