Daddy's Song
Daddy's Song by Dennis Jernigan
The Father very gently cradled His son in His arms. The little boy loved the way his Father held him - because He held him a lot! Sometimes the Father would sing to him while He held him. In fact, more often than not, the Father would sing the little boy right to sleep. But sometimes, the boy would sing back to his Father in his own simple way. If you listened very closely you could hear them sing. You see, they loved one another very much - and loved to sing their love to one another. The Father, being a good Father, loved His son more than any Father had ever loved a child - more than the boy loved Him. And the Father's song was always sweet and tender, never forceful or harsh...
I'll have no other
For I love you only
I'll never forsake you
Or leave you alone
I love you
O, how I love you
I love you
O, how I love you
And the boy would sing in answer:
Here in Your arms
I'll always be
At rest in the precious love
You have for me
I love you
O, how I love you
I love you
O, how I love you
Every day the Father would call to His son, "Son, come walk with me in the cool of the evening." And the boy would run gladly from wherever he was for he loved these walks because they were so peaceful and refreshing - and because he knew that when they had walked far enough his Daddy would hold His little boy to Himself and carry him home, singing all the while:
I'll have no other
For I love you only
I'll never forsake you
Or leave you alone
And even though the boy always fell asleep in his Daddy's arms, his heart still kept singing:
Here in Your arms
I'll always be
At rest in the precious love
You have for me
The Father loved to give good gifts to His son. He wanted nothing but the best for him. Not only did He provide for the boy's every need, He also clothed him in the finest of clothes - a robe of white for every day and a coat of many beautiful colors to fit over his robe for their evening walks together. You see, the Father wanted everyone to know that this was His son whom He loved very dearly.
Every day was like this - joy and peace - for the Father lived to lavish His love on His son. And the son was consumed in his love for His Father...'til one day, the boy met a stranger - a very beautiful stranger - a man more handsome than any he had known, except for his Father, of course. The stranger spoke in lovely tones, much like his Father. Why he even sounded much like his Father with a sing-song lilt to his voice and all. He told the boy of others who wanted to walk with him just like his Daddy. All he would have to do was love these new friends and sing their songs. The boy thought for a moment. This sounded good to him because if one love was so good then more loves could only be better. And after all, it was about time he started making some of his own decisions.
So, he decided that he would choose to walk with others. And he walked away...and as he did, he heard his Father calling in the cool of the evening. "Son, come walk with me. Son, I'm here!" And He sang for His son:
I'll have no other
For I love you only
I'll never forsake you
Or leave you alone
And He waited...
But the boy hid - for he had sung his love to another. And even as he sang the sweet song of his new friend he realized he had been deceived -he realized he had given his heart to another - something he somehow knew his Daddy would never do. How could he ever face his Father again? He felt so dirty and unworthy of his Father's love. And the song that had once brought so much joy to his heart now made him want to run away....
And still his Daddy sang for him:
Come here my precious
I know you are hurting
And though you have left me
I welcome you home
And the Father picked up the little boy and calmed his fears and dried his eyes and washed him clean as He held him close to His heart - closer than He had ever held him before. And He sang to His son:
I'll have no other
For I love you only
I'll never forsake you
Or leave you alone
And even though the son felt his Father's love, it wasn't the same as before - and it would never be the same again. And even though the Father loved him, the son somehow couldn't hear Him as clearly as before, for you see, when he gave his love to another, his ears were closed to any but the one he gave his love to. So even though the Father loved him more dearly than He did before, the son just couldn't quite hear it or believe it. And still the Father sang to him:
I love you
O, how I love you
I love you
O, how I love you
Day after day the Father called to His boy but day after day the boy walked further and further away and even began giving his love to others again - because he still had an empty place in his heart where once he had loved his Father - an empty place that longed to be filled. But since he found it harder and harder to hear his Father's voice he began listening to the voice of the stranger again and would even sing his love back to any stranger who would listen, for you see, he was still a little boy in need and little boys need their Daddy. And if they don't come when their Daddy calls, they become hopelessly lost.
And he became hopelessly lost - desperately lost. Afraid and ashamed. Hurt and dirty. Sick and dying. Alone in the dark. Every one of those other voices he gave his love to - every one of them one by one - stopped singing back to him. In fact, their love songs had to turned to screams of hate and lies. And their tender hugs were no longer gentle like his Daddy's had been. They hurt now! In fact, their arms felt more like ropes of iron and chains of steel than arms of love. One day he realized that he was trapped with no way out - and he realized that there was only One Who had ever really loved him - and that was his Daddy. If only his Daddy could hear him now. If only He were here! And he cried:
Daddy so dear
I'm all alone
I am afraid
And I want to come home
And he waited. How could his Father ever love him after what he had done?
Then his ears heard an old familiar tune and an old familiar voice and his heart felt an old familiar warmth as his Daddy picked him up and held the boy in His arms in an old familiar embrace. And his Daddy sang:
I love you
O, how I love you
I love you
O, how I love you
And his Daddy held him close. And as He held the boy He did a strange thing. He began to take off the chains and ropes one by one, humming His love to the boy all the while. He unraveled all the fears the boy had ever known. He untied the knots of despair and hopelessness - every one of them. He even cut away the hurt and pain the boy had inflicted on others - along with every harsh word, vile thought, or bitter deed he had ever done. And He broke off the hardness of his heart that had been built up by the boy's own doubt and pride. And He dried every tear and took away the boy's own deep pain and rejection as He washed away the dirt and filth His son had been clothed with for many years now. And then, the Father did an even stranger thing - He placed all of these things upon Himself- even the punishment the boy deserved as the consequence of his own failures. The boy was overcome with peace and joy but this soon turned to grief when he realized what he had done to his Daddy. For you see, the weight of all those things which had so burdened the boy had broken the heart of his Father - for the Father loved His son so much that he was willing to die for His child. And while the weight of sin choked the life out of Him the Father still managed to sing the song with His dying breath:
I'll have no other
For I love you only
I'll never forsake you
Or leave you alone
And the boy just sat there empty and alone - stunned by such a precious love. And he waited, for he knew that all those other voices were gone now. All he could hear was his Daddy's song, the memory of that final refrain playing over and over again and again in his ears. And after awhile he slept-- the soundest sleep he had known since the last time he had walked in the cool of the evening with his Father.
As he slept, something wonderful began to take place. He began to hear the song his Daddy used to sing to him. After awhile he even thought he could see his Daddy's face. And he was almost sure he could feel his Father gently place the special robe of white upon him and over this the coat of all those wonderful colors which had been a sign of his Daddy's deep love for him. And then he felt a warmth so great it could only be the arms of his precious Father holding him close. And then the boy realized the Truth - his Daddy was here and alive and this~was no dream even though he was at complete rest. His Daddy loved him - no matter what. Of this he was sure now more than ever!
The little boy held his Daddy close because he knew now there was nothing that could ever separate him from his Father's love - ever again! So they held each other. And they sang this song:
I'll have no other
For I love you only
I'll never forsake you
Or leave you alone
Here in Your arms
I'll always be
At rest in the precious love
You have for me
I love you
O, how I love you
I love you
O, how I love you
