I'm staying with my daughter, Sarah, for a few days to help out with the new baby. Her husband, Troy, had to go back to work today. What a joy and a blessing to have this time with Sarah and to become acquainted with my new grandson, Jayden Troy (JT).
I know I wrote about him the other day but I'm consumed by him right now! What can I say? His parents are so smitten by him! His Dad can hardly stand it that he has to go to work and leave him all day. His Mom can't let him out of her sight. I knew they would be great parents but now I see that they truly are.
As I was holding JT today and he was snoozing in my arms with that sweet, new baby look on his face I thought about my Mom. How she loved babies! I couldn't help but shed a few tears as I thought how she would have loved to hold him.
I'll never forget when my son, Michael was born. He was Mom & Dad's first grandchild. Mom came and stayed with me for several days when I first came home from the hospital. I had taken a shower and Mom was watching Mike for me. When I came out of the bathroom, I heard Mom whispering. I went to the doorway and just listened. She was whispering to Michael about how much she and Granddad loved him and how much fun they were going to have in the years to come.
It could have been my hormones kicking in, but I began to cry. It was so sweet listening to her talk to him like that! It doesn't seem fair that the rest of her great-grandchildren will not be able hear her voice or feel her gentle caresses. I know God has a plan but it's still hard to fathom the "why's" of it all.
Yet I trust God.
1 Peter 1:3-5 (The Message)
What a God we have! And
how fortunate we are to have him, this Father of our Master Jesus!
Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we've been given a brand-new
life and have everything to live for, including a future in heaven—and
the future starts now! God is keeping careful watch over us and the
future. The Day is coming when you'll have it all—life healed and whole.
What a God He is! I know God is watching over my family and me. One day, I'll have it all! What a promise!
Revelation 14:12-13 (The Message)
Meanwhile, the saints stand passionately patient, keeping God's commands, staying faithful to Jesus. I heard a voice out of Heaven, "Write this: Blessed are those who die in the Master from now on; how blessed to die that way!"
"Yes,"
says the Spirit, "and blessed rest from their hard, hard work. None of
what they've done is wasted; God blesses them for it all in the end."
Passionately patient. Hmm...
I like that you quoted a verse from 1 Peter in this post, because reading the earlier paragraphs reminded me of a discussion we had in Bible study tonight. Just a few verses later, Peter says:
ReplyDeleteThough you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls. (1Pet 1:8-9, NIV)
The pastor used the illustration of a mother expecting her baby as a metaphor for the way a Christian expects the full realization of salvation/sanctification. We've never seen God face to face, but we know He's there, and we know that we love Him, and we look forward to that day of "unveiling."
In the meantime, we are "rooted and grounded in love" (Eph 3:17-19, ESV).
Thanks for your comment, Krista. It's so true. We aren't "hoping" it's going to happen but we wait expectantly knowing it will come. I love the Ephesians verse, too. How much better could it get than to be grounded in God's love?
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