I'd countered my sisters with the plea of, "Shouldn't we try to be authentic in our walk with God, especially when God specifically says not to observe the celebration times and feasts of the pagans?"
Then my one brother-in-law had broken into the conversation in high dudgeon as if he hadn't been listening to anything of what I'd previously said, "Why do you have to be one of those people making it hard for everybody? You'll be telling us we have to throw our Christmas tree out next!"
Well that had fallen rather conveniently or as the case may be inconveniently with what the conversation was about and I had responded to it by quoting Jeremiah 10, which specifically forbids the cutting down of a tree and decorating it in one's own home. Oh my father had really lost it then.
Blood vessels had pumped to capacity as he'd screamed, "You take the Bible far too literal Samantha! You better watch out or it will ruin you! Goodness knows you've already let your over attention to matters of faith cost you a promising career as an archaeologist. Is this all you do sit around thinking up things to cause trouble? Look what you've done and how upset you've made everybody! You ungrateful….." He'd gone on and on, until finally I had just stood up from the table and left.
Now staring at the brief message before me I could only wonder as to what had magically put me back into my father's good graces. Something wasn't right, as I didn't believe in magic.
I did then what I should've done before sending off my reply. Closing my eyes I prayed, "God I don't know about this. I was faithful to share what You revealed to me and I was rejected for it and now I doubt his sincerity about me being right about anything from his perspective which I doubt has changed. What is this all about? If I shouldn't go please tell me now and I won't go."
"Go."
Blinking I looked up and whispered, "Why?"
"Because I wish to preserve you even as a faithful father does for a child he loves."
Feeling on the verge of tears I whispered out brokenly, "But my father doesn't love me like that! He has something up his sleeve and I know it won't be good for me in the long run!"
"Samantha you have no father other than Me for even as I created you in My own image I am Father of all. Listen to Me and do as I say."
Crying I pressed my face to the keyboard and nodded my acceptance of my Heavenly Father's will even as I felt the love through His words that my earthly father had never shown to me.