I am sitting here with an old friend, Dagwood Bumstead. I have known Dagwood since before I could read. I would look at the pictures and little by little I figured out the words. Somehow Dagwood and Blondie haven’t aged. They raised Alexander and Cookie as I grew and then I passed them. The kids stayed frozen in their teen years. I wanted to name my first dog Daisy but was overruled by my older sisters. Blondie is such a great looking woman I often wondered how Dagwood got her. I actually had a boss that could easily have been Mr. Dithers. There is something wonderful about having something so permanent in one’s life. On Sunday mornings, like the Bumsteads, I have no age. For a few moments I am part of their world.
Constancy in an ever-changing world is remarkably soothing. Everyone needs some kind of psychological anchor. We need to come back to something solid. We need something that doesn’t change. Our heavenly Father is like that. Malachi 3:6 is a great promise. God assures us that He doesn’t change. What He was He is. What He is He will be. It is a blessing when we can have that kind of biological parent, but just in case you don’t, be sure you have a Father in heaven who is real and permanent.
At the close of Matthew Jesus promised that He would be with us always. Always is a good word. As the decades have gone by my vision of my heavenly Father has changed. He has grown more personal. But it was me that changed not Him.
Written by Roger Bothwell on March 22, 2009
Spring of Life Ministry, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574
Rogerbothwell.org