While she was attending college out of state, I wrote daily letters to my daughter. I found out later that she shared these letters with some of her friends and they found encouragement from them as well.
Understand as you read these words that they were written to a daughter from her father, but you can apply them to your own situation. So, soak in these words. They are written with a heart of love of a father, inspired by the love my Father has shown me.
So, with her permission, I’m sharing some of what I wrote with you. I hope you find encouragement from these words as well:
Here’s a quick question I’d like you to consider today. How does Jesus feel in His relationship with you? Does He feel close, engaged, consulted, listened to, kind of like you and Him are best friends? Or does He feel ignored, unimportant, and just like your crisis guy, unwanted?
Answering this question can always tell you how close you and God are. Remember you were made by Him for Him. You are His daughter and like me, He loves time with you. Remember love is spelled T-I-M-E. I hope you give time to His Word, His family the local church, to worshipping Him alone and being grateful.
I know if I give you much, like I have your entire life, and you came home and would not talk to me or share your heart, I would feel deeply hurt and sad about our relationship.
When God thinks of you, I don’t want Him to feel sad because He misses your heart. Rather, I hope He feels excited. I want Him to say, “Here she comes, my favorite daughter. I can’t wait for her to share, sing or just be honest with me and listen to My heart for her.” So how does He feel toward you?
Enjoy this day! Enjoy Him. I have enjoyed His relationship my entire adult life.
By now you’re probably getting the hang of classes, sleep, work, friends and fun. Your organization muscle is really starting to get stronger.
Today I had a thought that I’m not sure you have had the thought that this is the day the Lord has made for you. You see, time is an envelope on God’s desk. He created time for the purpose of creating His family. He is before time, inside time and after time. He has already been in your day.
He has planned opportunities and blessings for you. Knowing He created the day can let you relax and just walk through this day and every day knowing He is holding your hand and watching your reactions. He loves when we say thank you and ask questions and try to be like Him in this day. The challenges you have are the ones He wants you to have to make you stronger and wiser for the challenges ahead of you. Similar to how David killed the bear and lion and then Goliath.
By now you are probably picking up the pace a little bit and assignments are putting pressure on your time. You’ll do great: Just try to stay ahead and you will feel less pressure.
I wanted to tell you about the power of a seed. Almost everything you do is a seed. The words you speak, the attitudes you plant in others, your time and money. However, I don’t know if you ever thought that you are a seed.
Inside you is unique DNA that will grow over the years and decades of your life. You will have all kinds of seasons as you grow and manifest the fruit that is already in you.
Like any seed, you’ll need dirt, sunlight and water. The dirt is your relationships, school, work and your environment. The sunlight is God’s presence: You need His presence to grow the DNA He has put in you. The water is the Word of God you must drink in truth in order to become who He wants you to be. If you are intentional in all three areas, you will grow faster and stronger. If, however, you don’t seek His presence, heed His Word and aren’t in the appropriate relationships, you can damage your growth. You have an amazing calling on your life and you are a seed you must take care of.
Hopefully, you were able to bask in and feel the love of these words. Know that no matter what your relationship or lack of relationship with your parents was, you are a worthy child of God.
You are worthy of words of praise, encouragement and love. Stay close to God, stay in His Word and live in the knowledge that your heavenly Father has great plans for your life and loves you dearly. {eoa}
Doug Weiss, Ph.D., is a nationally known author, speaker and licensed psychologist. He is the executive director of Heart to Heart Counseling Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and the author of several books, including Letters to my Daughter. You may contact Dr. Weiss via his website, drdougweiss.com; on hisFacebook; by phone at 719-278-3708 or through email at [email protected].
Shawn Akers 
Rabbi Eric Tokajer