“All That You Are” by Goo Goo Dolls

And I feel all the faint morning light
Filled with hope ’cause you’re here in my life
And [I’ve] gone from the edge of [my] soul
Made it back to a place [I] call home

You see me through
I was alone in the dark
And the fear was my truth

Yeah all the things that you are
Beautifully broken, alive in my heart
And know, that you are everything
Let your heart sing and tonight
[You’ll] light up the stars
All that you are

I feel wrong, I’m so human and flawed
I’ll break down even though I’m still strong
And time will make fools of us all
Build us up and then laughs when we fall

You pull me through
When I’m alone in the dark
And the fear is my truth

Yeah all the things that you are
Beautifully broken, alive in my heart
And know, that you are everything
Let your heart sing and tonight
You’ll light up the stars
All that you are

You’re the sound of redemption
The faith that I’ve lost
The answers I’m seeking no matter the cost
You opened the window
Now I can see and you taught me forgiveness
By giving your love back to me

Yeah all the things that you are
Beautifully broken, alive in my heart
And know, that you are everything
Let your heart sing and tonight

Yeah all the things that you are
Beautifully broken, alive in my heart
And know that you are everything
Let your heart sing and tonight
Let your heart sing and tonight
You’ll light up the stars
All that you are

Oh I feel all the faint morning light
Still there’s hope
‘Cause you’re here in my life

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: John Rzeznik / John Shanks

Dear God, so here’s a question: How do I have a daughter (or son, but I’m especially thinking of daughters today for a certain reason) and not make them an idol? I have a daughter, and I confess to you that there have been times and there are times when I have made her more important to me than you. Everything I want for her. Everything I would do for her. The pain I feel or the joy that I feel that only she can control. It’s quite something.

I was talking with a young woman yesterday in my office. I know here father from college. I thought he was a good man going into yesterday. All she did was elevate him in my eyes. We were never really close in college. We just knew each other through a mutual friend. But now I want to know him better. Maybe even get some comfort from you through him and his experience as a dad.

So here’s what happened. This young woman was telling me about her life, and she talked a lot about her parents. As she told her story and described how her parents responded to her through her ups and downs in life, I could see just how much they love her. And I did my best to reflect that back to her. I don’t know how much any of us can appreciate how much our parents love us until we have children ourselves. I could tell she knows her parents love her, but I did my best to communicate to her that it’s even more than she thinks or imagines. She sent me a video where she and her dad interviewed each other. They were given questions to ask each other by this group that was videoing parents and children. She asked her dad, “Why do you love me?” He answered, “Because you are you.” He then apologized for using a cliche. I told her that it really was a great answer, cliche or not. Then I gave her an example about my own daughter. I told her that when you have a child and they are doing something at a school performance, a play, on a soccer team, or whatever, your eyes never leave that child. When my daughter was on the stage or on the field, my eyes never left her. I didn’t care what the other kids were doing. All I wanted to do was watch her. I didn’t care how good or bad she was, although I always celebrated with her when she was good. I just wanted to watch her.

After our meeting was over, I got to thinking about how we will never understand how much you love us. Having a child helps. It gives me a glimpse of how much you love me, but even Jesus says there’s a limit to how much I can love vs. how much you love. (Matthew 7:11 – ¹¹ So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.)

That brings me to this song. After work, I took my dog to the dog park, and I heard this song as I drove. It’s a favorite, but I heard it a different way. It’s intended to be a love song, but with just a couple of tweaks of the lyrics, I imagined this friend of mine singing it to his daughter. I made my tweaks to the lyrics and put them in brackets.

And I feel all the faint morning light
Filled with hope ’cause you’re here in my life
And [I’ve] gone from the edge of [my] soul
Made it back to a place [I] call home

Just being a father of a daughter. There’s something really cool about having a son. It’s special. And then there’s something really special about having a daughter too. Maybe I look back too idealistically, but I’m sure my friend sees his daughter(s) (he actually has two) in the same way. This is where I can make her a bit of an idol and replace you with her. I’m sorry for that. I really am. But I do love her so. I know my friend loves his daughter too.

I feel wrong, I’m so human and flawed
I’ll break down even though I’m still strong
And time will make fools of us all
Build us up and then laughs when we fall

The hardest part about being a father is knowing you have made and will make mistakes. When I watched the video, I was struck by the grace that this young woman offered her parents. Her dad was expressing remorse for his mistakes. None of them were made in malice. All were made out of love. Some out of fear for her. But parenting will reveal our flaws like nothing else will. “Time will make fools of us all.” The part about “builds us up and then laughs when we fall” made me think about how little girls think their dad is awesome and then one day, at least for a while and for a lot of them, they don’t, and dad is knocked off the pedestal. Time has definitely laughed at me as I’ve fallen.

Now I can see and you taught me forgiveness
By giving your love back to me

What a gift the grace is. To watch this young woman approach her parents with such grace and forgiveness brings tears to my eyes even as I type these words.

Yeah all the things that you are
Beautifully broken, alive in my heart
And know, that you are everything
Let your heart sing and tonight
[You’ll] light up the stars
All that you are

Parents have to walk that line between loving unconditionally while still holding our children to a higher standard than they would try to achieve on their own. It gets confusing for the parent and the child. But now as an adult with grown children, I think I really like the phrase “beautifully broken” in the chorus. I know my children aren’t perfect. There’s grace for that. They certainly know I’m not perfect. I hope there’s grace for that. But we love all that they are. We just want them to cut loose with all that’s inside them.

Father, I don’t want to forget that you see me the same way. You know I’m broken, but somehow, through Jesus, you see me as beautifully broken. And, again, through Jesus there is grace for that. Thank you for your love. Thank you for your grace. Thank you that a lot of these words could be your words for me as you sing over me.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen