Letters To My Daughter by Dear Dad
For over two decades I've enjoyed the most fantastic relationship with my little girl. Nothing but pure joy to Her mother and I, it was inconceivable when in a matter of weeks "what we had feared" came rushing upon us. While still close, our hearts break a dozen times a day over her abrupt change in behavior and lifestyle. Often engulfed in grief and fear, we continue to pray and trust that what sin means for evil God will turn to good.
After thousands of hours of relationship and training throughout my daughters lifetime, and many conversations concerning her recent decisions, I've found writing a helpful and hopeful release. The following represent the whole or parts of letters I written. Some I've sent, some not. All are from a heartbroken dad scanning the horizon for his daughter to come to her senses and come home...
People Are Crazy by Dear Dad
Dear Daughter,
Up again at 3 a.m. and thinking of you as always. Your visit last night was a welcomed surprise. Seeing you casually stroll in, hearing you chatting away as you plopped down on the couch to give me a full body hug was like old times. Knowing you'd be by on Sunday to hang with your mom made yesterday feel like double dipping.
You seemed happy and proud of your work at the preschool. Enjoyed seeing the pictures and hear you gush over your room's decorations and your kids. Without question, innocence is all too rare and indeed priceless.
Thanks for the country music. Not a big fan myself but your mom likes it. Not that she listens to much of anything except Christian, particularly these days. Liked hunting through and arguing over music videos on cable. It was funny and disappointing to find recycle giant artist's of my generation performing their flops for your generation who don't know better.
Some of the videos were good like Cold Play's "When I Ruled the World" and Dave Matthew's "Funny The Way It Is." Both were well done. Hard to understand all Dave's lyrics but what I heard sounds like my kind of song, though I find the irony less laughable.
It's the country music video, "People Are Crazy" from Billy Currington playing in my mind this morning. Long and loud enough to get me up writing. I share your appreciation of the simplicity of the lyrics, music and video, though less so at 3 a.m....
This old man and me
Were at the bar and we
Were havin’ us some beers and
Swappin’ I don’t cares
Talkin’ politics
Blonde and redhead chicks
Old dogs and new tricks and
Habits we ain’t kicked
We talked about Gods grace
And all the hell we raised
Then I heard the old man say,
“God is great, beer is good and People Are Crazy”
He said "I fought two wars,
Been married and divorced"
What brings you to Ohio?
He said "Damn if I know"
We talked an hour or two
About every girl we knew
What all we put ‘em through
Like two old boys will do
We pondered life and death
He light a cigarette
He said "These damn things will kill me yet,
But God is great, beer is good and people are crazy"
Last call its 2:00am
I said goodbye to him
I never talked to him again
Then one sunny day
I saw the old man’s face
Front page Obituary
He was a millionaire he
He left his fortune to
Some guy he barely knew
His kids were mad as hell
Huh but me, I’m doing well
And I drop by today
To just say thanks and pray
And I left a six-pack right there on his grave
And I said God is great, beer is good and people are crazy
God is great, beer is good and people are crazy
God is great, beer is good and people are crazy
With it's catchy melody and message it'll no doubt be a big hit, though we're both in agreement that while God is great and people are crazy, bad tasting beer not so much.
As I'm want to do I turned the song over in my mind to find where Billy went wrong. Obviously there's the billions of dollars drinking literally pours down the drain and the equal number of lives ruined by its abuse. The song made me remember my step father's parents, both semi functional life long drunks with their own five gallon beer dispenser by the frig. Both lived and died drinking. A legacy, I might add, they passed on to their only son and at least half their grandkids.
Next I pondered, "what is good?" Certainly not the barking dog harmonizing with the neighbors car alarm hours before dawn. The it came to me. Without getting all religious, a better chorus and song would be: "God is great, His gifts are good and people are crazy."
I'm thinking about that little passage in the Book of James we've talked about:
"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." James 1:17
What catches my eye is how James feels the need to qualify that only, "good and perfect" gifts come "from above." Which then begs the question were do other "gifts" come from? Does the Devil give gifts?
Later James touches on this as well. Apparently one of Satan's greatest "gifts" is wisdom, but what kind?
"Such 'wisdom' does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness. James 3:15-18
This small passage is pivotal, particularly for your generation today. Often, with a little influence, wrong choices can seem right or at least not so bad. And your generation's under more than a little influence. A wisdom's arising from tens of thousands of TV shows and and movies, advertisements and even sweet simple country music videos. But this wisdom's not from above but from below and is, according to the King's english, "earthly, sensual and demonic."
Right. How can exercising personal freedom be from below? Who's is hurt? What's a few beers between friends? What's sex outside of marriage? Maybe it's earthly and sensual but demonic?
Writing this outside as the sun rises through the clouds makes me think of a couple of your favorite songs. Wrote a Psalm in the Night about "Contact" by Cities Burn. It's your choice of a second cut on Thrice mix cd you gave me a few months ago entitled: "Digging My Own Grave." See what you think:
It's not what you think
Just one more little bet
Just another cigarette
Just one more drink
So lend me just a little more
You know cancer can't catch me
Let's have another drink or three
Don't be a bore
But oh, don't I know
I'm just digging my own grave
Someone else please save myself from me
And oh, lord I know
I'm just digging my own grave
Can someone save myself from me?
I look, I don't touch
It's really no big deal
I'll quit it when I feel I've seen enough
Oh, don't call it an affair
It's just a little fling
She doesn't mean a thing to me, I swear
But oh, don't I know
I'm just digging my own grave
Someone else please save myself from me
And oh, lord I know
I'm just digging my own grave
Someone save myself from me
Don't know about you but folks digging their own grave while singing about it sounds pretty devilish to me. But then, God is great, His word is good and people are crazy...
You know honey, we all wrestle with the silence and distance of the God of the Bible but our momentary confusion doesn't make Him less awesome or us less needy. And remember, some ways of objecting are more constructive than others.
Funny the way it is. You should think long and hard about it...
I guess that's enough for today. God knows I wish it were. Thanks again for coming by. Looking forward to watching some more MTV together.
Love and prayers,
Dad
Should you be interesting in submitting your own letter for consideration please contact Paying Parents at Rob@PrayingParents.org by calling (559) 305-2229.