
Between the piggy-back rides for the two year old granddaughter and the tossing of the football with the oldest grandson, the weekend slipped away.
Time, at its best is fleeting. The moments we are given to enjoy are not enough to satisfy the craving for them to never end. This may be why our hearts are longing for the day that all these good things will never end.
The Father grants us small glimpses of what our eternal relationships will be like while we are here. Chasing a cricket and running through the sprinkler, the grandchildren laugh and play and enjoy the spring sunshine. The smell of the grill stirs the grumbling in my belly. Celebrating two moms and their love for each other, we eat and talk about the latest happenings in their lives. The children dominate the conversation, even when they are not right there to speak.
Life through the eyes of the young, offers Hope. Hope of the Better Life to come and the flashbacks to what our Faith used to look like; before we “grew up” or forgot to be so cynical. This realization brings me back to the point where Faith Like a Child matters to me more than the cold religion that I can practice at times. A vibrant and active faith, with a 90 mile an hour heartbeat, carefree and young. When we first began to play in the fields of our Father, before the world crept in to wound and hurt us. Before it tried to tell us that He was holding out on us. Make us believe it had something better for us, than His designed plan for us.
The music is on and we dance with the children as they giggle and hop around. This celebration is about nothing in particular, other than the Dance of Life. A party for the soul, enjoying the Life He has given and the company he has placed us in. The sun fades and the fire pit is lit. Nowhere else we have to be. A mini vacation. Relaxed. Resting, as the Father would have us to do. The stars come out one by one and the cooler air fills our lungs. Thank You, God, for this breath and nighttime air.
As I stare into the fire, the weekend has brought back another memory. One of a different time and very different circumstances. A road left behind. A different family that never began. Now a ghost town and cobwebs. Forgotten by all involved. Dust on a shelf to be wiped away. Still, I can’t help but wonder. A sadness passes over me. But the path was lit for me to crawl out and make my way to another love, a Greater Love. Providence has graced me to here and now. The things that lay behind and the chains left back there could never have brought me to the Joy I have now. Taking my eyes away from the fire, I look around at my family now. Blessed to be sure; a grandpa emerged from a broken and bloodied man. A Deeper Love, Loved me too much to let me languish in that prison cell. Thank you is not enough for the Rescue that took place. I am overwhelmed by Your Presence and Mercy.
The baby is all smiles, kicking his legs and talking up a storm! Three healthy and happy grandbabies! The God Who is Able, has made the impossible happen. The beauty that has been traded for the ashes of a broken life is beyond my comprehension. The chance to be a part of a family that pulled me in. A loving wife and step-daughter who managed to squeeze me in to their life. A journey of thousands of miles and a promised land that, at one time, I could not believe in. Grateful.
One day, there will be days even better than this. We will see the impact we have had on many others that we never even knew about. A longing for the Kingdom Come. Death swallowed up in Victory. The greeting of Our Savior and the Love we have always longed for. Days enjoyed on end! Thank You God for putting Eternity in Our Hearts!
Time, at its best is fleeting. The moments we are given to enjoy are not enough to satisfy the craving for them to never end. This may be why our hearts are longing for the day that all these good things will never end.
The Father grants us small glimpses of what our eternal relationships will be like while we are here. Chasing a cricket and running through the sprinkler, the grandchildren laugh and play and enjoy the spring sunshine. The smell of the grill stirs the grumbling in my belly. Celebrating two moms and their love for each other, we eat and talk about the latest happenings in their lives. The children dominate the conversation, even when they are not right there to speak.
Life through the eyes of the young, offers Hope. Hope of the Better Life to come and the flashbacks to what our Faith used to look like; before we “grew up” or forgot to be so cynical. This realization brings me back to the point where Faith Like a Child matters to me more than the cold religion that I can practice at times. A vibrant and active faith, with a 90 mile an hour heartbeat, carefree and young. When we first began to play in the fields of our Father, before the world crept in to wound and hurt us. Before it tried to tell us that He was holding out on us. Make us believe it had something better for us, than His designed plan for us.
The music is on and we dance with the children as they giggle and hop around. This celebration is about nothing in particular, other than the Dance of Life. A party for the soul, enjoying the Life He has given and the company he has placed us in. The sun fades and the fire pit is lit. Nowhere else we have to be. A mini vacation. Relaxed. Resting, as the Father would have us to do. The stars come out one by one and the cooler air fills our lungs. Thank You, God, for this breath and nighttime air.
As I stare into the fire, the weekend has brought back another memory. One of a different time and very different circumstances. A road left behind. A different family that never began. Now a ghost town and cobwebs. Forgotten by all involved. Dust on a shelf to be wiped away. Still, I can’t help but wonder. A sadness passes over me. But the path was lit for me to crawl out and make my way to another love, a Greater Love. Providence has graced me to here and now. The things that lay behind and the chains left back there could never have brought me to the Joy I have now. Taking my eyes away from the fire, I look around at my family now. Blessed to be sure; a grandpa emerged from a broken and bloodied man. A Deeper Love, Loved me too much to let me languish in that prison cell. Thank you is not enough for the Rescue that took place. I am overwhelmed by Your Presence and Mercy.
The baby is all smiles, kicking his legs and talking up a storm! Three healthy and happy grandbabies! The God Who is Able, has made the impossible happen. The beauty that has been traded for the ashes of a broken life is beyond my comprehension. The chance to be a part of a family that pulled me in. A loving wife and step-daughter who managed to squeeze me in to their life. A journey of thousands of miles and a promised land that, at one time, I could not believe in. Grateful.
One day, there will be days even better than this. We will see the impact we have had on many others that we never even knew about. A longing for the Kingdom Come. Death swallowed up in Victory. The greeting of Our Savior and the Love we have always longed for. Days enjoyed on end! Thank You God for putting Eternity in Our Hearts!