Father watches over you

I was in Sunday School this Sunday and the teacher directed us to this verse to show us how Christ was following what Heavenly Father wanted him to do.  John 8:29:  "And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him."

This reminded me of a story that my Dad had told me from his life that suddenly made this verse mean more to me. 

When my Dad volunteered to enter the Army and go to war during World War 2 he had a few days of leave to go home before being shipped overseas.  He was at home and feeling the possibility that he might never return from war alive like was happening to so many young men during that time.  He was talking to his Mom and told her that he didn't know if his Dad loved him and that was important for him to know as he went to war.  His father had never told him those words, "I love you".  So Dad wondered if his Dad loved him or not. 

His mother replied with a story.  She reminded him of a time when he was younger when his father had sent him in the dark to walk a couple miles to pick up something, I believe it was some water they needed at the house.  My Dad hadn't wanted to do that because he was scared of some neighbor's dogs that were known to be mean and he was afraid they would attack him while he was out walking in the dark.  Nevertheless his father had sent him to do it and with fear and trepidation Dad went.  To his surprise the dogs didn't attack and he returned home with the needed supplies.  His Mom told him that his father had followed him the whole way with a shotgun to be sure that he wasn't attacked by the dogs. 

In that way he had shown how much he loved my father and my father was relieved to know of that love and felt more at ease as he went to war not knowing if he would return or not. 

Heavenly Father was indeed with Christ and guided and led him even through the difficult times, leaving him at the end to allow his sacrifice for us to be fully his own.

Additionally we have Father in Heaven who watches after us.  He doesn't spare us the difficult and sometimes harmful situations of life, but he is there to guide and comfort us if and when we accept it.