May 21, 2008
"Behold, children are a gift of the Lord..." (Psalm 127:3)
Thirty-one years ago I graduated high school. Twenty- eight years ago I
finished three years of military service with the 101st Airborne Division at
Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Twenty-four years ago I graduated college.
Nineteen years ago, after my wife and I had been married for four years, things changed dramatically...we became parents. We had one baby...then 12 months later we had another. "Can we stop this machine?" we asked. "Where is the off button?" Two kids in two years; were we crazy?Living through diapers and toddling we may have thought we were crazy, but we learned we were actually blessed. Two special gifts. Two special kids. Two unbelievable persons who could frustrate us and melt our hearts all at the same time...there's nothing like having kids!
Now it's 19 years later and two kids are two adults who are planning their lives
beyond the shadow of the nest we have spent 23 years creating. And that's when I
saw it...beyond the fact that kids are gifts from God (Psalm 127:3) is the truth
that they are also "arrows in the hand of a warrior" (Psalm 127:4). You know as
well as I do, that the single greatest purpose of an "arrow in the hand of a
warrior" is to shoot that arrow straight into the heart of the enemy, not to
keep holding it in his hand!Our kids were not given to us to keep in the "nest" (or quiver, as the Psalmist calls it). We have invested 23 years in building a nest from which these birds will fly; a quiver from which these arrows will be shot! The next best thing to being saved and being married is being a parent! It is a blessing. And it's not done until the arrow is
launched.Don't cling to your kids; prepare them to be launched into the
battle. Pray for them; equip them; launch them. It will be another blessing to
rejoice in their victories in the years to come! Think about it...and I will see
you Sunday.Pastor Jamie
2 comments:
I so miss the feeling of "belonging" that I felt when they were here. He will always be my pastor as well, although I'm sad that I haven't kept in touch. Great words of wisdom as always though...
We do so enjoy our annual visits with Jamie- wish we could see them more often. But, at least we get his weekly e-mails- always pertinent and full of wisdom.
I completely understand how you feel about "belonging." Right now, as we're in transition between churches, we don't have that sense of "belonging," either. It's a difficult place to be, but it's where the Lord has us right now. I think that sense of belonging comes from digging in and serving where there are needs. I know we'll have a peace about where our church home should be when the time is right.
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