“Whoever follows Me will have the light of life and will never walk in darkness.” ~ John 8:12
Satyana knew of her
biological father, but wanted nothing to do with him. He bailed before she took her first
steps. Negligent.
Not many men would take on a relationship with a single mom and
a three-year-old daughter, but Sanjay did!
He was the only dad she’d ever known.
Honorable.
He never missed a birthday,
holiday, or family gathering. His family
accepted them with arms wide open; his family easily became their
family.
He cheered for her at every sporting event. The term, “rub some dirt in it, kid,” would inspire her forever; this she reminded her own kids when they got knocked down.
Satyana learned responsibility
from the chores he gave her. He taught
her to take accountability for her actions.
When she showed immaturity and selfishness, he gently corrected her. Sanjay even embarrassed her in front of her
friends - like dad’s do.
Sanjay was the Best Man in Satyana’s wedding. Her youngest son shares his name.
Now as he lay dying, she realized that perhaps the only
person who could see her through this kind of grief was never going to call
again. They would never go out for breakfast
again and swap stories about their lives.
She’d never get to hear his laugh again.
“It’s crazy,” she thought, “how many features they shared
physically and mentally; almost as if that had always been God’s plan. He helped shape her values, morals, and
Christian faith.
Her mother’s soft voice broke the silence. “There’s something he wanted to ask of you,”
she said, retrieving some papers from her purse.
“He always wanted to, but we
never had the extra money,” her voice choked with sincerity. “He repeatedly apologized for not having done
it sooner, and worried that you wouldn't want to, especially after all these
years,” she hesitated.
“There’s no legal, social or other imperative to do
this. He just always wanted … to adopt
you.”
Her mother waited desperately for Satyana’s reply.
Satyana had always questioned why her bio dad didn't want
her or love her. But being a dad to a
girl who needed a father figure in her life would forever be more important
than DNA.
“Dad,” she began, kissing his cheek lightly. “In every storm you were my lighthouse, the
direction in which to swim. There were
days I felt that I’d drown. You couldn’t
fashion a boat, or pull me from the waves, but your love was oxygen in my lungs
… and that was enough.”
“So, I thank you eternally for your light, for your graceful
persistence. Gratitude feels as such a
tiny word, but then so is love. Of
course, I’d be honored to legally call you “Dad,” although I never thought of
you as anything less.
Heavenly Father, in every storm You are my
guiding light. Thank You that nothing
has taken You by surprise. You know our
journey better than we know it ourselves, and You will use this time for great
things. Amen
