Does your dad love you?

“Excuse me!”

“Hi!” I call out to the woman approaching me on the street.

She has a six-pack of beers under one arm and a couple of packs of cigarettes in her hand. I wonder what she wants.

“Do you have children?” she asks.

“No, I don’t,” I reply, feeling slightly confused.

“Do you have a dad then?”

“Yes I do.”

“Does he love you? Does he always love you?”

“Yes he does.”

“Even if you do something really, really bad?” she asked.

I look into her eyes – pain, hurt. “Yes, I think he would.”

“So even if I do something really bad my dad will still love me?”

Tears are welling up in her eyes.

I nod.

She looks at me gratefully and we go our separate ways.

As I continue my walk to the supermarket on that cold, bright winter morning I realise I am wrong.

*

A dad’s love should be unconditional. But it isn’t always.

I like to think my dad would always love me no matter what. But I can’t know that he will. What if he changes? What if I do something really terrible?

But I do know my dad in heaven will always love me. I know this because he demonstrated his love once and for all in giving his life for me.

He died to right every wrong that I have done and will ever do. When he did this he knew every bad thing that I would do to him and yet he still did it. Nothing I do wrong ever surprises him.

*

I didn’t think of telling the woman this. I should have; I know my dad in heaven wants everyone to know of his amazing love for them.

I feel rubbish for messing up and wasting the opportunity to tell this woman of his love.

Then the truth comes home.

He still loves me even though I mess up because it doesn’t depend on me. The reality of his love is rooted in an event in history. I can’t change it by what I do or don’t do.

Amazing, undeserved, unchanging love!

This is love worth dying for! This is love worth living for!