This is a Father’s Day post written by someone who’s far away from her dad.

I’ll give you one guess for what I’ll be mentioning here.

Yes, you’re right! I miss my Dad!

You saw that one coming like someone in Saskatchewan could see their dog running back home for the last three days, right?

That just makes this no less anything, but all the more connecting.

I know Father’s Day was two days ago (Korean Standard Time) but its after-effect combined with a bout of homesickness upon my 4-month mark here in Korea turned into something akin to the clouds that were out today in Pohang.

But not at first. I was privileged to contribute a heartfelt little video portion to my Dad’s Father’s Day sermon, as he interviewed a couple other church members back home about what Fatherhood and Dads meant to them. He focused on the Father’s Love and after listening post-preach, I can tell you…it was good.

After preparing and making my little snippet, I guess I let myself nose into a bit of a self-spiral. Funny how those sneak up on you: missing my family a little too much here, not enough giving it to Jesus there, and topped with being across the world for Father’s Day and BAM! I had a piping hot “ME” casserole on my hands (I might also be missing various casseroles from home).

After serving it up but before completely gorging myself on it, I got myself journalling.

Through that time writing, God reminded me of something: Jesus has already gone through everything I could possibly go through. Including  – and especially – separation from a father.

After all, Jesus left his Father in Heaven to come and be with us on Earth for a time. That was a separation of a sort. He was separated even further when he took our sins upon us, making it so that his perfect and holy father couldn’t even gaze at him, with all the filth – our filth – he had taken on. But then they were reunited after he defeated death (and our sins).

He knows exactly what I’m feeling, and then some. Well, a lot of some, actually.

Being reminded that I already have exactly what I need – exactly who I need – to get me through the rougher patches in Korea was like flipping a switch inside me.

I know he’s given me all joy, peace, love, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, self-control, and patience to do more than survive; he’s given me this whole fruit platter!

In his sermon, my Dad mentioned something I hadn’t formulated into coherent thought for myself yet: I’ve had to learn to rely more on my Heavenly Father since moving to a foreign land.  More than I rely on my Dad. More than my family. More than myself. More than anything. And he’s completely right.

It’s been a strange yet pretty awesome experience thus far, but also very challenging at times. This was just one of those times. Though I can’t rely on my Dad or my Mom the same way I used to, that’s okay. I have a Father who already has me in his arms, saying “It’s all good. I gotcha…here, have some fruit. I got your favourite kind.”

I just needed a little reminder of the fruits I’ve been given, that I’ve been growing, and of the one who keeps giving them to me.

I think fruit is better for me than a casserole anyways.