It wasn’t long ago the Lord told me to stop at the store and buy a particular band-aid for my then seven-year old daughter. You see for months I had hardened my heart to her needs that were different from my boys. I make it a point to ask my boys when they hurt themselves on a coffee table (or name the object of the day), whether or not they broke the object! This gets their mind off the pain and focuses on the pride in the strength of breaking something (boys understand this). My boys also show mom and dad their “trophies”. These are battle scars throughout the day, if it is bleeding or bruised it is really a great “trophy” to brag about to your brother or friends. But here was my daughter coming to me through out the week, not wanting a high-five for a bruise or blood but actual love and encouragement from her father and I was terrible at giving to her what she needed most, sympathy. There were times when she came crying to me with a near invisible hurt multiple times a day. Sometimes I would ask why she ran into the wall, it’s been there the whole time. I became aggravated and annoyed, which is completely opposite of Jesus’ grace and love. Then the Lord showed me one day in prayer, her love language is gifts and acceptance, definitely not sarcasm and bullying. So I pulled into a grocery store and found the band-aids with Barbie on them and proudly placed them on the grocery counter to be checked out. When I got home, I held them behind my back and told Jocelyn that I had a gift for her. Before I gave them to her, I explained I needed her forgiveness for ignoring her hurts and that daddy would always be there when she is hurting and now she will have her own band-aids that are just between her and her daddy to put on. That day I made a covenant with my daughter the same way God made a covenant with you and I. He promised to never leave us and gave us the Comforter (even better than a band-aid) to convict us of our righteousness and forgiveness in Christ. I still have days that I struggle as a father , but I now know the importance of a band-aid and sympathy to my daughter!
brandonpollard 