“I Loved Her First” by Heartland
Look at the two of you dancing that way
Lost in the moment and each other’s face
So much in love, you’re alone in this place
Like there’s nobody else in the world
I was enough for her not long ago
I was her number one, she told me so
And she still means the world to me
Just so you know
So be careful when you hold my girl
Time changes everything, life must go on
And I’m not gonna stand in your way
I loved her first
I held her first
And a place in my heart will always be hers
From the first breath she breathed
When she first smiled at me
I knew the love of a father runs deep
And I prayed that she’d find you someday
But it’s still hard to give her away
I loved her first
How could that beautiful woman with you
Be that same freckled face kid that I knew?
The one that I read all those fairy tales to
And tucked into bed all those nights
And I knew the first time I saw you with her
It was only a matter of time
I loved her first
I held her first
And a place in my heart will always be hers
From the first breath she breathed
When she first smiled at me
I knew the love of a father runs deep
And I prayed that she’d find you someday
But it’s still hard to give her away
I loved her first
From the first breath she breathed
When she first smiled at me
I knew the love of a father runs deep
Someday you might know what I’m going through
When a miracle smiles up at you
I loved her first
Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Elliott Park / Walt Aldridge
Dear God, this is one of those father/daughter songs that gets me. It’s in the category of “Butterfly Kisses,” “Playing Cinderella,” and “There Goes My Life.” All three can make me cry. I guess “the love of a father runs deep.” As a dad, I totally get this. My little girl. I literally was the first person in the world to see her 21 years ago. What a day that was. It was scary too. My wife had a complication during delivery that almost caused her to “crash.” It was a day that I’ll never forget–or that I hope I never forget.
What I often do forget, however, is that my wife has a dad, and this could be his song too. In that version, I’m the guy dancing with his daughter and he’s looking at me askance. I don’t know that I ever appreciated that until a few years ago. I’m the guy who, to some extent, took a piece of her heart that was originally his to occupy. Not that that’s the wrong thing to do. It’s natural. But it hurts, and I don’t know that I ever appreciated until recently how much pain my existence might have caused him.
Then there’s the brand new thought that I heard Gary Thomas say a few months ago. You’re my father-in-law as well. I have your girl as my wife. What do I do with that responsibility? Do I point her to you or do I try to insecurely fill that part of her heart that is reserved for you with myself. There were a lot of years when I tried to do that. My neediness and insecurity caused me to try to be everything to her. I’m sorry for that.
Father, I pray for my daughter. I pray that you will fill the parts of her heart that she needs you to fill. I pray that you will raise up people around her to build her into the woman you have for her to be. I pray that she will swim in your grace, mercy and joy. I pray that she will exude love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, faithfulness, kindness, goodness, and self control as a natural expression of her relationship with you and the Holy Spirit flowing through her. I pray for my father-in-law, that you would help me to be the son-in-law you need me to be for him. Fill his heart with your peace and help him to feel the love his daughter has for him. I pray for my wife, my father-in-law’s (and your) little girl. Give her your touch. Help her to completely be at peace. Even now, as she is at a chapel praying, Holy Spirit, meet with her and love her richly. Give her a peace that passes understanding. Wash away any fear and replace it with faith, hope, and peace. And show me how to be exactly who you need me to be for my daughter and my wife.
In Jesus’s name I pray,
Amen
Emails to God 