A Travelling Father

Some of my weeks are full of constant travelling...where each of your breakfast, lunch and dinner of that same day are in 3 different cities. Amazing how travel opens our eyes and hearts to new experiences, but funny enough, this time my experience was here..at home..in between the travels!

Coming back home after 3 days away, I was welcomed with big running hugs and kisses from my girls, whom I missed a lot.. I wanted to enjoy the few hours I have back home with them before hitting the road and continue my travelling. After a quick family lunch, I started getting ready for leaving to my next destination..and then suddenly I saw Farida running to our room..not knowing why, I followed her to check, may be she prepared me a drawing to take as a reminder on my next trip..but It was far from that! There she was lying on our bed, her head down between 2 pillows and..crying..crying her heart out..I went and took her in my arms and told her that I am sorry but i have to travel, just for few days..and started explaining why i cant cancel my trip..but she stopped me with her eyes full of tears and told me "papi, i am not asking you to stay as i know you have to go, i am just crying because we spent so little time together now..it went fast and I miss you and wanted a little bit more time with you..." I was Silenced and her tears made their way to my eyes!

Isn't it strange that whenever we think of our life with God, we always see the relation reversed, we talk about how loving He is as a Father, how He seeks us daily and keeps looking and caring for His children..but rarely we look to that relation like Farida just made me see it..a relation where as sons and daughters do miss their Father. I always read this verse in psalm and it made me wonder if I will ever get that feeling too

كما يَشتاقُ الإيَّلُ إلَى جَداوِلِ المياهِ، هكذا تشتاقُ نَفسي إلَيكَ يا اللهُ. عَطِشَتْ نَفسي إلَى اللهِ، إلَى الإلهِ الحَيِّ. (المَزاميرُ 42:1, 2 AVDDV)

AS THE deer pants and longs for the water brooks, so I pant and long for You, O God. My inner self thirsts for God, for the living God. (Psalm 42:1, 2 AMP)

At that moment, hearing her comment, i know that there is a great relation i am still looking forward to, a relationship where my heart will seek the living water..and feel thirsty being away..and I know that His waters will quench my thirst for any other. I wait for the day I cry for not coming and sitting there with Him every morning...tell Him like she told me "I want a little bit more time with you...!"

Imagine if Farida didn't miss me that much..I would surely doubt if I mean a lot to her as a father. Right?

Get thirsty my friends!

A child's art...in an office!

I remember well one day going in the office of one of the directors of our company..he had a wall deocrated with a painting..not really artistic i would say, but it had the center piece of His wall...it was too loud in colors, uneven lines, zigzags, too much contrast..with lots of dark tones and cheerful colors..mel akher keda (7aga 3ak shwaya)! But knowing the dutch and their love of paintings, from Rembrandt to Van Gogh..i was sure it was something worth the value to be in this Big Director's office! Frankly, couldnt hold myself and asked him, what's that special painting? He looked with bright eyes and said it is the most expensive piece he has in his collection, he couldnt even tell me its price..i asked about the painter. He told me "it was made for me by my 5 years old son...just before passing away"!

With a shock silencing me, i just then realized that the value of the painting is not in not in its beauty, but rather in the one who made it...it is the painter that gave it the value it has...it is the love behind it that makes it priceless...no matter what critics say, no matter what people think...its value for this father is priceless.

Dear Heavenly Father, i thank you that my value is not in who I am or what I do..no matter what i do, how i fall, how i win, or lose...my value is in my creator...I thank you i am priceless in your eyes, i am priceless because YOU MADE ME and GIVE ME VALUE! Keep me walking in your love, in Jesus name! Amen!