For some of us in Christ, our first encounters with Him may not be well-defined or easily told. That is the same with my story, but one thing I do know is  that God came along and made me realize that He is a Father to the fatherless.

To reiterate: not everyone has a salvation story marked by a specific date or dramatic moment—and that’s okay. I was young when I first believed. I heard God’s word in church and felt God drawing me to Him. I read the Bible stories for children when I was a little girl, and when I got a bit older, the Bible for myself. I believed within my heart and subsequently confessed with my mouth that He was my redeemer, my Lord and Savior.

I grew up without my earthly dad and have never met him. As a little girl, I thought I was okay, but as I got older, I began to see the effects of not having one. Underneath it all, at times, I have come to realize I was not okay. Yet over the years, God has continued to show up, reminding me that He is a Father to the fatherless. Through every season, He has whispered this truth into my heart:

“You are Daddy’s little girl.”