Mrs. Doubtfire—the Sacrificial Father
I was dismayed to hear of Robin William’s death a few months ago. His suicide was a death for all of us. He was one of the funniest actors in history, and yet, his depth of understanding about life and emotions hit all of us in a deep place.
Remembering Mrs. Doubtfire
I woke up the morning after he died remembering my favorite movie: Mrs. Doubtfire (watch trailer).
Remember the hilarious scene in the restaurant when he was supposed to be two places at once and two different people at the same time? He kept running into the bathroom to change and eventually even he forgot his true identity for the moment!
After I laughed out loud remembering it, I also reasoned why he was willing to become a pudgy old woman who spoke in a very high voice! It was so he could be close to his kids, whom he was cut off from due to his divorce.
He loved his children so much he was willing to disguise himself as a woman, become a nanny and a housekeeper, so he could be close to them.
Who does that remind you of?
The Great Lengths of Our Father’s Love
Our heavenly father loves us so much that after the divorce took place in the Garden of Eden, he derived a plan to stay close to us. He created a long range plan that would ensure he could stay close to us, helping us with the homework of life, cooking us delicious life experiences which would nourish and feed us, and protect us from the bullies of life. He introduced death so we could live. When he took the knife to slay the first animal, he killed in the very garden where only life was meant to happen.
But, he wasn’t finished. His long term plan involved sending his son to earth to become like us, like you, so we would know he wasn’t a father who stood off aloofly, not caring about his children. Jesus told us, “If you’ve seen me, you’ve seen the father.”
He came to earth to model for us how to live in his father’s family. As one who is beloved, who has every provision, (Ephesians 1:3), and who is so rooted in his identity, he was able to touch a leper for healing, even though it cost him the ability to enter the synagogue or Temple or even to walk freely amongst the villages.
He also came to die. Jesus knew his mission from the father was to give his life as a sacrifice, just as Mrs. Doubtfire did. He loved us so much that no sacrifice was too great.
Is God Good?
So, it is vital we ask and answer the question, “Is God good?”
You see, Adam and Eve forgot the answer to that question. They began to doubt their father and they began to judge him. They tried to become the parents, setting new rules in their garden. However, their rules introduced evil, and ultimately death.
It changed everything.
I feel so sad that Robin Williams played the role of Mrs. Doubtfire, the sacrificial father to his children, and yet, did he know the depth of his heavenly father’s sacrificial love for him?
If he did, he let the voices of doubt become louder than the voice of love, and ultimately, it cost him his life. My prayer for you, for myself, for all of us, is that we can remember…remember even in the most horrific circumstances that our heavenly dad is for us, he is continually working to bring about our good, and he will never leave us or forsake us.
He is a good Dad!