What are you best at?

The other night my daughter asked me something. It’s a question that I suspect only a daughter will ask her father, and only while she is very young. And a fathers answer has the power to make or break a girls little life-
his answer has the power to drop that curtain on her hopes and dreams and sense of self-
or to swing that curtain open for her, and open up a whole new world.
My daughter asked me to lay down with her to help her sleep. She turned over, looked me in the eyes, and asked, “Daddy, what am I best at?”

I find myself lying on my bed at night, sometime having trouble going to sleep. Like most people I’m a lot better at remembering all the things I did wrong that day, and that week, and last year, and last decade. And the more I think about the shortcomings of my life and ministry, the vicious cycle of my own mental abuse starts to kick in. And it doesn’t take long before I can quickly forget all the good in my life and all the good things I’ve done. And I find myself wondering, God, what am I best at? God, am I even good at anything at all? God, what am I going to do with my life, with this life that you’ve given me?

And it’s then that I begin hearing the voice of my Father speaking to me. Saying never forget that I think you’re the best. Never forget how much I love you. Never forget that I loved you enough to die for you. Never forget Zephaniah 3:17,

“The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.”