Dancing With The Father

I remember the incident as if it happened just yesterday. There I was, adorned in a beautiful white gown Mom had sewn for my Senior Prom. Like any typical teenage girl thrilled to be all dressed up and made up for such a distinctive occasion, I stood waiting in our living room with eager anticipation for my date to arrive. Feeling such joy and delight, the words came rolling off my tongue, asking my dad, “How do I look?”

The abrupt response hit me, taking my breath away as I gasped for air. “You look funny,” I instantly shot back at me in a critical and angry stare. The harsh retort only reinforced the lie I had believed for years ….I was not valued. That brief scene became a defining moment for me because, in its brevity, it described a reality I lived in.

Sixteen years later, my husband and I attended a week-long Christian conference that taught us how to facilitate God’s healing to wounded souls. During lunch on the last day of the conference, the painful memory of my Senior Prom night unexpectedly came back to my mind. It surprised me because I hadn’t thought about the incident for a long time.

After lunch, we met in our assigned small groups as we had every day of the conference. Since this was our last meeting together, the group members took turns being prayed for by the rest of the group.

I didn’t tell them about the memory of my senior prom night, but as they prayed, one woman said she immediately had a vision of me in a white dress.

Then another woman said that she also immediately saw a vision of me in a white dress while at a dance.

A third woman excitedly shared that she, too, had a vision of me in a white dress and that Father God wanted to dance with me.

Needless to say, I wept as I heard the Lord speak healing words to my heart regarding this painful memory. This was His new, defining moment for me. Instead of being rejected, I was chosen.

Shortly after that wondrous encounter with Him, I was inspired to write the poem Dancing with Father, which was later published as a book. The poem is a vision of my dance with Father God and a tribute to Him that testifies to how He healed me and gave me a new identity.

I want you to know that I deeply love my father and have fully forgiven him for this incident long ago. I honor him and look forward to greeting him in heaven!

My hope and prayer is that you will also be drawn into a personal encounter with Father God as you hear Him speak His transforming love to you.

"Even if my father and mother abandon me,

    the Lord will hold me close." Psalm 27:10 NLT

Fathers and mothers, the words you speak, your facial expressions, your hugs, and your loving gazes has the power to impart immense value to your sons and daughters! God can heal and redeem strained relationships; it is never too late! Ask the Lord today what you can do and say to express love to your child...just because of your love.

(Dancing with Father is available on www.micheleokimura.com)