A Daughter of Two Fathers

Protector. Provider. Guide. Leader. Teacher.

   Characteristics intrinsic to our relationship with the Heavenly Father. O how blessed we are to receive the benefits of His divine characteristics as we navigate life’s peaks and valleys.

   This becomes increasingly evident for me with age and reflection on my life through a lens continuously polished with spiritual growth. Re-examining my key life’s events is like witnessing a photograph continue to develop and reveal God’s constant presence, protection, provision, and guidance over the years, in ways that were not previously in-focus or fully visible to me at the time. 

   One of the greatest examples of His grace, for which I am eternally grateful, is His gift to me of my parents. Both were divinely ordained to pour into me a lifetime of preparation though their guidance and grounding. In this month of June, I am grateful to have had the appointment of a Protector, Provider, Guide, and Leader on Earth in my Dad, Charles L. Scott.

   My father defined what my expectations as a woman, daughter, and mother would become. I was truly a Daddy’s girl, and he was truly a ‘Girl-Dad.’ When I was young, my sense of comfort and protection was unnoticeable to me. It was my normal. I cannot remember wanting or needing. I had no need to feel unsafe, unloved, nor unprotected. As an adult, I realize that this level of comfort was not always the norm for many of the women I have since encountered. I realize that he was a father-figure in the truest sense, even to others outside our family unit, including a friend whose home life had become less than optimal when we were teens. 

   His stature was grand, yet his smile was welcoming. He was a man’s man, yet he was a renowned cook. He was a serious provider, yet he was funny even when he wasn’t trying to be. 

  That’s my imprint. That’s my blueprint for how fatherhood should emulate the relationship of our Divine Shepherd. I did not fear. I did not want. I trusted without question. He was never too far away. Even now, his influence and legacy sustain me. Thank you, Lord, our Heavenly Father, for fathers here on Earth who emulate the love you have for us as your children.