My Devotion at church

Last spring I signed up to do the devotion portion of our GIFT (Growing In Faith Together) group. Here is what I presented that day.

Since Mother’s Day is right around the corner and Father’s Day isn’t too far off, I want to talk today about being a parent. It wasn’t too long ago that I wasn’t sure if we would ever be parents. We lost our first baby through a very complicated miscarriage in January 2001. I finally got pregnant again with some help from medical intervention in October 2002. Our son Gabe was born in July 2003. I remember one time when he was about 4 months old. He was sleeping in my arms as I rocked him. I looked down at his face and thought, “He is the greatest thing I have ever done.” Don’t you think that’s how God thinks of us?

Jeremiah 1:5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart.”

I don’t think I ever truly understood what a sacrifice God made for us when he sacrificed Jesus for our sins. How many of us would be willing to do that? But that’s exactly how much he loves us! Completely and perfectly.

When we were trying to get pregnant I prayed and prayed and prayed. I prayed for things to happen on my time schedule, not God’s. It got the point where I would lay in bed at night and pray, “Okay God, you know what I want. Just please give me a baby!” I swore to him that if I was lucky enough to be a parent that I would be so patient. I wouldn’t be like those regular parents who grew impatient and angry (imagine that, angry with your children?!) because I would know how much we longed for this child and I would truly know what a blessing it was to have a child. And we were blessed with a child! Not on our time schedule for sure. Especially since we were going to wait until our second son Benjamin was at least two before we tried again. Well, Ben is 2.5 and our daughter Lyndee is 1! Who’s in charge here? Am I extraordinarily patient? No! Do I yell? Yes! Do I get angry and frustrated? Yes. Have my children tested me? Yes! I’ve even been known to get down face to face with Gabe and say rather loudly, “We tried really hard to have you! Now behave!”

Don’t you think God feels like us sometimes as parents? He is extraordinarily patient. I’m sure he gets angry and frustrated with us. I’m sure we test Him every day with our worldliness and disregard for prayer and scripture. Do you think sometimes he shakes his head and says, “I gave Jesus’ life for you! Now behave!”

And yet, in the midst of dirty diapers, cutting up food in bite size morsels, wiping up fruity pebbles that become like glue if left on any surface…I am so thankful to be where I am at! I am amazed at how my heart can swell with love for my kids.

1 John 4:7-8 Whoever loves is a child of God and knows God. Whoever does not love, does not know God for God is love.

1 Peter 4:8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins.

I challenge you this week to love your children as completely as possible. To know that the way you love them is the way that God loves you. I also challenge you to treat a little bit of each day as Father’s day, not for your husband or your dad, but for God. Give thanks in prayer for the love you are able to give others because He first loved us.