Week 10: When the Father Embraced Them

In a quiet home gathering of women in South Asia, something holy unfolded. These women—many of them mothers, grandmothers, and daughters—had spent their lives caring for others, usually in the background and rarely acknowledged.

That day, a guest speaker simply told them the truth: “What you do—nurturing your families, loving your children—is just as important to God as the work of an evangelist.”

They looked surprised. Some had never heard such words. But something in them stirred—as if a locked door deep inside had creaked open.

Then came the Father’s blessing. One by one, they listened to words they had never received from a father: affirming, healing, honoring words. Words that told them they were not forgotten, not overlooked, not lesser. That they were loved simply because they were daughters.

Then came a gentle invitation: “If you’d like a father’s hug, I’m here.” For a moment, silence. Then, slowly—hesitantly at first—one woman stood. Then another. And another.

They came with tears in their eyes. Some sobbed. Some shook. These were not emotional outbursts. They were heart-wounds surfacing and being touched by something real: the love of the Father.

In a culture where men and women often sit on opposite sides of a church, where expressions of affection from a man to a woman are rare and often misinterpreted, this was not an ordinary moment. It was a breakthrough.

They weren’t coming to a man. They were running to a Father.

And in that small room, in that simple act of love, many women stepped into the arms of God—for the first time.

Reflection:
Whom do you know that needs to experience the Father’s love in a tangible way? Sometimes the greatest gift we can offer is presence, affirmation, and a willingness to bless.

"I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty." – 2 Corinthians 6:18