Bible Reading: Psalm 103:11-13; Isaiah 64:8; Hosea 11:1-4

"Good job!" Dad shouted to Ellery. He was holding on to her by a towel looped under her armpits as she practiced riding her two-wheel bike. Her tongue stuck out of her mouth in deep concentration as she tried to maintain her balance even with Dad's support.

"Whoa!" she exclaimed, her eyes going wide. She started wobbling, but Dad held her upright as the bike went down to the ground. He hauled Ellery to her feet and smiled down at her. Ellery looked up at Dad and asked, "Again?"

Ellery practiced her biking skills for a while longer before they returned to the campsite just in time to grill some burgers over the fire. Meredith, her older sister, and Mom were just finishing up their quiet time when they arrived. Dad helped Ellery assemble her dinner just the way she liked it--two slices of cheese, three squirts of mustard, and four pickles.

"I read something interesting in my Bible today," Meredith said as Ellery dove into her food.

Ellery made a strange gurgling sound that resembled the words, "What, what?"

"Manners," both Mom and Dad said in unison.

Meredith looked at her sister and shook her head before continuing. "I read that God is our Father. I think it's cool there are so many different words in the Bible that describe who God is."

"Do you know why God calls Himself our Father?" Mom asked.

"Because He made us!" Ellery jumped in, now having swallowed her delicious bite.

"You're right," Dad said. "And when we trust in Jesus, we become part of God's family. The Bible also describes what kind of Father God is. He teaches us, encourages us, and is always with us."

"Like how you helped me on my bike today!"

"Or how you helped me with my jump shot in basketball," Meredith added.

Dad smiled at them. "Yes, but us human dads aren't perfect. My dad hurt me a lot when I was younger, and I know I'm not perfect and have messed up too. But God never does that. He is the perfect Father."

"He's even better than you?" Ellery asked.

"Even better than you can imagine," Dad responded as Ellery leaned her head against his arm.

–Zoe Brickner