Not long ago I emailed my father with a question having to do with a project I was attempting at my house.  The next morning he was at my door to help get it fixed in spite of the two hour drive to and from. It was a strong reminder to me that my father loves me and is waiting for me to ask for what I need so he can be of service to me.

It was also a powerful metaphor for the Father in Heaven we all share; He who wants nothing more than to bless us with His love, His guidance, His forgiveness and all the tender mercies He has in store for us–if we but ask.  There have been many times in my life when my Heavenly Father has blessed me with what I needed and often times, what I have wanted.  These events are particularly close to my heart because they were blessings that showed me how much my Heavenly Father is aware of me as His daughter, of my particular joys and sorrows, and how much He loves me, as He does each one of us.

One example in particular stands out more than the rest.  I had suffered a disappointment that I learned of in a sudden and seemingly unfair manner. I felt heart-broken and I spent much of the day crying. After my husband and children were asleep that night, I was still weeping over my lost opportunity, one that I felt was denied me because of a large and challenging responsibility under which I daily labored. Ironically, the lost opportunity was one I felt would have relieved my burden to a small extent. It seemed particularly unfair that something that might have brought me relief was withheld from me because of that very same burden.

Thoroughly miserable, I got on my knees and expressed to my Father in Heaven all my woes. Feeling I had nothing to lose, I spoke not only of my lost opportunity, but also dared to ask for a blessing I had dared not ask before because I was so afraid the answer would be an unbearable “no”; was there a way for my large and heavy burden to be lessened or relieved in some way?

There are no words to fully describe my joy when the answer came back to me: Yes! It was so loud and clear, it felt almost as if my Heavenly Father was as happy I had asked as I was to be granted my request. My heart was bursting with elation such that I felt as if it would break out of my chest. I also felt an incredible lightness, both in lack of weight and in brightness. It were as if my entire being was filled with a light that threatened to pull me up into the sky like a basket bobbing after a hot air balloon.

The hows and the whys were questions to be addressed as the days progressed. The onerous burden was indeed eased in very specific ways and, some time later, the same lovely opportunity I had so wanted came my way.  Oh, how loved I felt!  And by someone whose love I had felt so strongly, my being could not hold it all.

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I have a testimony that I am a daughter of God – that God is my Heavenly Father. I know that Heavenly Father is distinctly aware of me. I know that He loves me. I know that he cares for me.

This knowledge has always been with me – at one level or another. Throughout my life, I’ve been blessed with a great father. He has always been aware of my needs and willing to do everything that he can to help me. However, there is one aspect of our relationship that lacks, and it is our faith. I know that my father respects my religion, but I also know that he doesn’t believe it. Nor does he understand how it has motivated many of the choices I’ve made in life.

As I have gotten older, I have found that I need to rely on my Heavenly Father for this kind of confirmation. I haven’t always felt comfortable explaining that my reasoning for certain decisions have been based in the way that the Spirit has guided me. Again, I don’t fault my father for this. I understand where he is coming from – as he does not have this kind of faith, but these experiences have caused me to gain a special relationship with my Father in Heaven. I have realized that I can go to Him like a Father, and that he will always understand me. I know that He understands my worries, my faith, and my problems.

At one point in my adolescence, I was having a really hard time with my faith. I was not always making the best choices, and I was questioning everything that I had always believed in. However, I was still going to church and going through the motions required.

Around this time, I received a special calling – as a young women (assistant) camp director. When I received this calling, all of the love for my fellow young women and all of the wonderful experiences I had at camp flooded my memory. I distinctly understood that Heavenly Father knew me personally. He loved me, and He didn’t want me to doubt in Him or in the Gospel. I know now that Heavenly Father offered his troubled daughter help – through a special calling. This experience taught me that my Heavenly Father knows me and loves me.

As I’ve gotten older, I have had many other similar experiences. I have found that during times of trial or adversity, Heavenly Father has ways of letting me know, specifically, that He loves me and that He is aware of my needs, worries, and desires. I also have felt that He wants to see me happy.

I know that Heavenly Father is a perfect Father, and that He loves all of His children with a perfect love. I know that the delights in blessing us with His best blessings, and I have often been a grateful recipient of these blessings. I know that Heavenly Father is deeply interested in our causes, and that His entire existence – His entire work and glory – is based on our happiness – on our immortality and eternal life.
I’m so grateful to have this knowledge. The love that I feel from my Heavenly Father causes me to desire righteousness and increased faith. It inspires me to be loving to Him and to my spiritual brothers and sisters. The love that I feel from my Heavenly Father fills me with a sense of peace. I know that I have a Father in Heaven, and I know that He loves me.

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