I have come across this story before, and it has always made me stop and think, so when John Piper (another of my favorite authors) told the story again, I wanted to share it with all of you also.

theresurgence.com/gospel_coalition_2009_keller_notes

Gene Getz wrote in The Measure of a Man: 

My children are all adults, but I’ll never forget overhearing my four- and five-year-old daughters having an animated discussion in the living room. The youngest suddenly had a burst of insight and said to the oldest, “Hey, Renee, God is our heavenly daddy.” The oldest, who has always been philosophical, wasn’t quite sure how she felt about that comment and so the discussion continued. “But He is,” Robyn insisted. “He’s our heavenly daddy.”

 

Frankly, I was startled. It suddenly dawned on me that their image of God was their image of me. What an awesome thought! Needless to say, right there and then I made a deeper commitment to exemplify Jesus Christ in order to help my children develop a correct perspective intellectually and emotionally regarding their heavenly Father.