I've been realizing lately how many things I do because of advice from my Dad.
My dad is a special man. If you are to know something really important to me - it is that my Dad is the best man in my life. He is humble, gentle, and extremely wise. I RESPECT this man. He has such a hard time receiving this affirmation though. The humility is real.
He is sure to watch out for me. Especially, in things that he knows I am unaware or careless. I guess it is a telling that he knows me really well. It's amazing how he just pops out with questions that apply to my life.
Things that he has said from as far back as I can remember has stuck with me even to today.
Like: "Shyla - always take a coat and enough warm clothes with you - what if you get into an accident and have to walk to the neighbors in the ice and snow."
-Every time I leave the house this goes through my mind - and just this week I grabbed a coat last minute. (Which came in handy after work when I decided to go to the football game in freezing wind!). :)
There's something about the way that he gives me this advice that drives me to heed to it. It is not out of duty or obedience that I do what he says, but genuinely out of love and respect for my dad. When he says something - he'll say something like this: "Shyla I really wish you wouldn't do that." I don't need a command from him - a suggestion is gold - because my respect for him is so high - I want to honor him. I know that he is telling me out of pure care for me - because my daddy loves me.
A couple weeks ago my dad asked me, "Shyla, do you text while you drive?"
- I was honest - I said, "Yes." :)
Of course I know that it is not safe to text while I'm driving - I have common sense and that precaution runs through my mind a lot of times - however since my Dad asked me not to, I have made a point not to.
Dad always explains the reasons why something isn't safe or not good. This understanding helps me as well.
Things that my Dad has told me:
- Don't worry hunny about things that girls say about you, you don't need their approval. Just roll it off your shoulder
- Do it right the first time and you won't have to do it twice
- Never do Drugs
- Get to know your neighbors, make friends of them and help them when needed
- Treat others the way you would like to be treated
- You are beautiful Shyla - Men don't like girls that are too skinny
- Don't talk to that boy every night - you'll get emotionally attached
- Don't be a control freak - that means you are insecure leader. Let others take authority. You don't have to do everything to have power
- Someone who doesn’t want help can't be helped
- Shyla- It's going to be ok. Think of the big picture - God is in control.
I think something that we can take away from this realization is that, just like always - The Daddy and Child relationship is meant to teach us about our Heavenly Father relationship.
The more we understand the Father's love for us - we will in accordance desire to follow His commands. We gain trust that He is Good, knows what is best, and it is natural out of love for someone to serve and obey them. Of course there are times that we need to obey even when we don't understand, however living long-term like this will lead to frustration and burnout.
This is something that I have longed to live my life after - it was apart of my core vision at the Honor Academy. Devotion - To Know God. And in our endless pursuit to know God, everything else is a response.
I hope you're encouraged by this - we have a heavenly Father who know our every need, even more than our earthly ones and is always watching out for us.
Do you know Him? Do you trust Him? He is trustworthy - I promise!
This was my core vision:
Devotion
Core Verse: ““Let us know the Lord, let us press on to know the Lord. For his going out is as sure as the dawn, he will come to us as the showers, as the spring rain that water the earth.”
Hosea 6:3
Devotion is a response to God’s love. Once one opens up her heart to receive the revelation of who God is and the outpouring of his profound love and understands that she was created to be his beloved, she can do nothing but respond by giving all of herself to Him. She daily surrenders her will, laying her life down at the cross and taking up his to receive the fullness of the life God intended for her to live. She is first his bride and second, his disciple. It is not by her own ability that she can be devoted for she is inherently unfaithful, but it is only by his grace that she can do his will. Her confidence in who she is as his Beloved and it is his unchanging love that allows her to walk out in her calling. She is radically devoted to knowing God, to be acquainted with his ways, zealous to search out the vastness of him, be perfectly in tune with the sound of his voice, sensitive to the Holy Spirit and uncompromisingly committed to living accordance to his will and commands.
