Daughters, know you are loved forever by God

Fathers, let us encourage our daughters today on Father’s Day and throughout the year. The following is an open letter to my daughters, one that may initiate a letter from other fathers to their daughters.

To my daughters: I want you to know that you are loved forever by God, your mother and me.

My life as a father is richer with you than I could ever have imagined. Whatever little I have given of myself to you has been returned many times over, in the simple happiness I know from sharing life with you.

I am blessed to be a part of your growth into amazing young women.

In caring for and teaching you, I have learned that the reward of serving is serving itself. From the kindness, generosity and natural compassion that you show toward your friends, family and many others, I have learned to be more kind, generous, and compassionate. All of this I see as the love of God flowing through you, his message and law of love alive in Christ in you.

The space allotted here is not enough to begin to say how wonderful you are. But do not misunderstand; it is not the wonderful things that you do and are that cause us to love you — you are always simply loved.

To understand this, you must learn what love is.

Sadly, the world around us does not know, often equating love with possession of things or people, or fleeting sensations of happiness, passion, pleasure or well being. Reject these false loves and seek the deeper happiness that comes from life with God.

Figure out for yourself what “life with God” means, while continuing to look to the generations of scholars, saints and mystics from our faith tradition, and others who have sought and found answers.

To really know God’s love, be sure to explore the faith that you have received.

Do not shy away from apparent contradictions, paradoxes or the challenges of others to your faith. These tensions can help faith to grow, and may simply represent a spiritual counterpart to the physical growing pains that you have experienced in your bodies.

Treat those who disrespect or challenge your faith with gentleness and generosity. Be aware that some of them have been deeply hurt by the very people who represented our faith to them.

With this growing knowledge of God’s love, learn to love yourself and continue to grow in your love for others.

What good will it do to love our neighbors as ourselves, if we do not love ourselves? Again, I mean the deep love that is the law of Christ, not superficial, narcissistic self-love. Set others above yourselves and serve those in need — and by all means, do it better than I have done!

You will find the face of Jesus in those you serve.

Learn what love is, explore it through faith and service to others, and know that you always have it.

And for daughters everywhere, in the good times and in the darkest and loneliest of hours, I pray that you will always know that God loves you.