Daddy’s Girl

There is no question about it. I have always been a Daddy’s girl.  When I was little, Dad and I had a routine we followed religiously.  Every night, we would fix a bowl of ice cream, pile Hershey’s syrup on top, then sit and eat while we watched television.  Then, he would talk to me about my day and rock me to sleep.  I gave up the ice cream when it no longer served my figure but I never gave up wanting my dad to rock me.  There was something comforting about being in the strong arms of my Father.  To this day, it is not unusual for me to plop down in my Daddy’s lap and give him a big hug as I tell him about all that is going on in my life. 

Growing up, Dad had two nicknames for me.  One was “Moose.”  I know, not the most enduring of names.  The other was “kid.”  If he ever called me by my actual name, I was usually in trouble.  The same goes for my husband, David.  He has nicknamed me “Chae.”  If he calls me by my real name, something is usually wrong.  I am not sure where this name came from.  I guess it was a stretch to call me “Cher,” so that was the closest I could get.  My mom always calls me “Darling,” so obviously, I answer to just about anything.

Recently while appearing on a live television show, the host continually called me, “Sharon.”  I decided to have some fun with it so when my host, Stefan, apologized for calling me Sharon numerous times, I responded, “No problem, Stephanie.”  He began laughing, and so did the entire camera crew.  We could laugh because we know who we really are.

So what’s in a name?  The word “name” is defined as “a word or a combination of words by which a person, place, or thing, a body or class, or any object of thought is designated, called or known.” (Dictionary.com)  As Christians, we have been “designated” and “known” by THE King to be grafted into His family.  This is not just any King.  He is the ruler over every King who was, is and is to come.  He is IT.  There is no one who has ever been greater and there is no one coming who will ever be greater.  You have arrived when you are a daughter of THIS King!  And when you are His daughter it means you have a Daddy!  You have His royal blood flowing through those beautiful veins of yours.  And the best part?  He CHOSE you!  There are no stepchildren or second-class citizens in our Daddy’s Kingdom.  We wear His name and His name alone for our identification.

The next time that you are feeling like you don’t belong, you don’t fit in, like you have been forgotten, or you are simply being called by a name that is not who you are, remember whose name you are wearing.  The Daddy’s name on your spiritual birth certificate can fix it if it’s broken, heal it if it’s hurt, correct it if it’s wrong, feed it if it’s hungry, pay it if it’s due, find it if it’s lost, and hear it when it cries.  Your Daddy can do anything!

When our identity is hidden in the name of Jesus, it doesn’t matter what the world calls us, tells us we are or tries to make us believe.  We are secure knowing that the name we wear is the name above ALL names and we will forever be called His “kid.”