See, I didn’t grow up with with a daddy who adored me. I grew up with a daddy who lost his mom at four and then went off to fight a war before he was a full-grown man. He never truly recovered from either tragedy. He was moody and uncertain and painfully angry most of the time. And unfortunately, our volatile relationship profoundly infected my understanding of my Heavenly Father.

Somewhere along my journey as daughter, the Lord led me to seek out scriptures of belonging. He brought me to references that reframed my understanding of ‘father.’ This is one of those scriptures.

“Keep me as the apple of Your eye.”

It was a foreign thought to me, to be the joy and delight of a daddy.

Dr. George wood explains it so beautifully, the way this scripture is a twofold promise. He writes “When I look into the apple (pupil) of another’s eye, I see a miniaturized version of myself, therefore every glance toward the Lord reminds me that I am in His field of vision.”  The amazing thing about looking into our Father’s eyes is that we see His love and are made more like Him in the same glance.

Cory Asbury has been singing it into my soul for a full two weeks: “In the quiet pride of my Father’s eyes, I remember who I am. When I feel the warmth of my Father’s smile, feels like I’ve been born again. I’ve been born again.”

We need to remember to look to Daddy. To stay close enough to see His pupils. To look often enough to keep His unfailing love in steady view and let that love recreate us into His perfect image. We need to stop hesitating and losing our way between glances but instead have the courage to maintain eye contact in the scariest of circumstances.

“I will see Your face; when I awake I will be satisfied with Your likeness.” (Psalm 17:15 NIV)