Well, tomorrow our baby (sorry Steve, even though you are the tallest you are still the baby) is going to be 35 years old! That fact along with recent health issues with a couple of our grandchildren, the impending arrival of another grandchild, and difficult school adjustments with other grandchildren have reminded me again that once a parent, always a parent.
It is an incredible privilege to watch our grown children deal with life's emergencies and the daily issues that arise in their lives and the lives of their children. Frequently I can see how history repeats itself and the very issues they are facing we faced many years ago with them. Fortunately, they seem to handle those issues much better than we did. One of the truly special blessing that God gives parents is being able to watch your children take the spiritual foundation you attempted to establish and then to grow exponentially beyond that foundation into amazing God centered and God fearing individuals with insights and abilities that far exceed your own!
As a father, it has been difficult at times to stand back and allow God to use life's trials to minister to my kids, yet we are so blessed and so appreciative of God for all His tender mercies in our family. I still have the "fix it" mentality, but in His wisdom God has prevented me from messing everything up by jumping in where He is working. Instead of reacting and running to aid my children, He continues to teach me to fall on my knees and ask Him to aid my children. I am a slow learner, but I do know that no matter how much I love and adore my children and grandchildren, God loves and adores them even more!
What a great God we have!
I was thinking about Steve's birthday too. 35! He's old!!! ; )
ReplyDeleteThanks for the foundation upon which to build!