Have you ever had children run to you and cling to every part of your being, becoming stuck like glue?

Meet Ricardo.

Every time I visit Nicaragua on a Church to Church trip, Ricardo is there. He sees me, runs to my side, and holds on. He may leave for a while, but he always comes back.

Ricardo is 12. 

He walks miles no matter what the occasion and shows up at almost every ministry location where El Puente serves. Whether it be soccer in the barrio, a children's feeding program, or adult bible study on the other side of town, no matter what, to my surprise, Ricardo is there.

Ricardo doesn't have much of a home life. He has severe bowel issues possibly caused by trauma, and from what I understand, his father is non-existent, thus he runs from place to place looking for love. 

Out of all those things, what's the kicker? The non-existent father. 

I don't know Ricardo's full story, but I do know that he has a Father that dearly loves him. He has a faithful Father that will never leave him, one who is fighting for Him and calls him "favored son". Ricardo has a Father that seeks to satisfy his every need, a Father that wraps His arms around him, picks him up, swings him around, dances, and sings non-stop songs of love and acceptance over him. Ricardo has a Daddy that breathes healing into his soul. He has a Papa that covers him in an abundance of grace, a patient Father, One that constantly pours His joy over Ricardo. Ricardo's Papa sees a beautiful heart, pure, and new, washed in the blood of Jesus. He has a Daddy that is waiting to pour out more of His heart and blessings to a ready and open handed son. 

Have you ever found yourself in Ricardo's shoes?

We may run in pain from good thing to good thing expecting to find what bridges the gap between our broken functional and emotional selves, yet we eventually find that nothing satisfies our soul.

Here's the good news: it's okay to be in that place. 

What Papa desires for us to ingest is the reality that His love heals all the trauma, damages, and brokenness that we carry from place to place.

The question is, are we willing to run to Daddy and cling on, sticking like glue long enough to experience the fullness of this healing love?

I encourage you today: Stick like glue. It may be gut wrenching at first, but it's worth it. The Lord reminded me not long ago that I must seek His presence (who He is) rather than His power (what He can do for me). From the place of His presence flows His power. So let's start by looking at who He is...