How taking my daughter’s pacifier away has given me perspective.

Not too long ago I took my daughter’s pacifier (Bah) away from her permanently. She isn’t even two yet, but I gave her warning anyway. “This is your last month with Bah.” “Next week we are going to take your Bah away.” “Tomorrow morning, I am going to take Bah away. Do you understand?” She said she did.

I walked out of the room and gathered all the pacifiers in the house and put them in a sandwich bag. All except what she was using.

The day came. I woke her up, bag of Bahs in my pocket, and I told her it was time to take the Pacifiers away. There were several false goodbyes. There was donut bribery. She cried. We thanked God for the comfort the Bahs had given her. I cried during the prayer. I put them away. Forever.

I cried. I wasn’t expecting that. Here’s why. I tried to have her thoughts.

1) I love Bah

2) Daddy is taking Bah away.

How can Daddy love me if he takes away what I love?

**************************************************

The truth is physical and social impairments were in her future if Bah stayed. The pacifiers were great. They had fulfilled their purpose. However, now it was time for a new season of life, a season without Bah.

I took what my daughter loved away from her precisely because I love her.

Then I thought about God when he takes away what we love.

Oh, how I hurt with my little girl. I did not gloat in my wisdom. I did not delight in my power over her. No, I mourned with my daughter. I cried with her.

I thought of this verse:

If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! Matthew 7:11 (NIV).

If I, a sinful man, feel this way, then surely God, a perfect Father, feels a deeper compassion for his hurting children. Surely, he feels it even when he knows that the cause of our tears is exactly what is best for us. He might have even wept with us that morning as we said goodbye to Bah.

I have the best Father, and the more I know Him the more beautiful He is.

Prayer: Daddy, thank You for how you love us. Help us to trust You when our hearts ache and when we don’t understand how our situation could be loving. We need you. We love you. Talk to You soon.

~Dallas Fluegel