Abba's Child

I have been reading this book called "Abba's Child." Bill asked me to pick it up and read it when I first met with him back in December. I am almost done with this book and I got to admit, I am sadden to be almost done. This book has become such a strength for me, where many nights I would stay up and ask God to speak to me through this book and He did each time, so differently and so uniquely.

If you haven't picked up a copy of this book, I suggest this be on the top of your list. For me this book has changed my outlook on how I view myself and not just that, but has changed my relationship with my God in a way that has helped me grow in areas that I thought would take forever to diminish.

I grew up in the church my whole life, I can remember being in preschool singing, Father Abraham or This little light of Mine and embracing God has my creator, but growing up it was so hard to embrace just being a child of God. Of course I heard it plenty of times growing up, I knew it and believed it, but walking in it and embracing this truth was so hard for me. When I first met with Bill, he saw this, he saw how hard it was for me to walk in being a child of God. I believe most people struggle with this because it is such a concept that is beyound us. Most of us grew up in broken homes where our fathers were to protray the very nature of our Heavenly Father, but for most of us, this example was far off from what God intended Fathers to be like. For me, I grew up with my mom being my mom and dad, until she married my stepdad when I was the age of 12 and as excited I was to finally have a father figure, my hopes and dreams shattered when my stepfather was not the example that I knew my Lord wanted for me. So growing up in my teenage years became difficult for me to understand that I served a God who loved me unconditionally even when I made mistakes, even when I failed and even when I sinned. That His arms were wide open, that I didn't have to be anyone else but myself to be accepted into the family of God. That with all my brokeness and baggage He has His arms wide open, waiting for me to come to Him, with no strings attached.

In "Abba's Child" by Brennan Manning God has been abled to open doors of freedom within my heart concerning my relationship with Him in a way that I have never experienced before. My times with Him are becoming more intimate and unique where I am left wanting more and wanting to experience more of Him and who He is. In this life, there is so many uncertanity's that we will face, but we can truly rest in the certanity and truth that we are a child of God, that He is our Abba and we belong to the beloved. Nothing can change or erase that.