That One Day When I Asked For His Burden

Hi, my name is Erica and I am a Daddy’s Girl. There, I said it. When my Daddy is around, I am a carefree little girl again. Every time.  When I was little and I would hear him say “I’m goin’ for a ride”, I would grab my shoes and meet him at the door. With that disarming grin, he would say, “Come on, Evvy, let’s go.” Evvy is what he calls me because when my brother was younger (we’re 13 months apart) he couldn’t say Erica. It came out (I’ve been told) as “Evv…i…ca” and so to my daddy I became Evvy.
So, off we’d go on the trip around the block, where we would always stop at the gas station and I would always get a bag of Munchos potato chips and a Fresca. During these tiny excursions, my daddy would fill me with information about my past. How he grew up in a small town, memories of his mom and dad, friends, and other family, and then segue into life right then and in the future. “Don’t ever do anything you will regret, Evvy. Finish school, go to college, never have any regrets.”
I carried those words with me as I grew up. I (mostly) did my best in school, went to college (although I didn’t finish back then) and married quite young. Looking back on how I have lived my life, sure, there are things I would have done differently, but I truly have no regrets.
My world was rocked when in the early 1980s my very strong 6’4’’ Daddy was diagnosed with a life altering autoimmune disease. Back then, it was unheard of, so for months we were in limbo wondering if he was going to die. With myriad prayers and capable doctors, he survived and is still my very strong Daddy at nearly 68 years old!
When I was about 12 or 13, I saw my Daddy struggling with the limitations of this cruel disease. I watched him try so hard to keep it together and wished I could do something to help. I went into my room and in tears I talked to the only Man I found to be bigger than my Daddy. “Lord, I love my Daddy and I want him to be ok. I’m young and strong and I want to help him. Will you give me a portion of his illness so he won’t hurt anymore? I promise I can handle it. Thank You. I love You. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
I wondered for years if my prayer had been heard. I found that He was preparing me all these years and, at the same time, he was preparing my Daddy. I watched my Daddy grow closer to Christ, and surrender what he thought his life should be, accepting what was. I saw him soften and be molded in to what he was called to be.
My prayer was answered in the form of a different autoimmune disease, Multiple Sclerosis. I am still learning to deal with this disease, but this morning, when I slowly urged myself out of bed, trying to ignore the pain and stiffness, I remembered when I would watch my Daddy do the same thing in the mornings, and I was transported to the day when I asked for his burden. No regrets.