by Joanne Wiklund
Steve, our pastor, said Sunday as part of a service where he baptized five new Christians, that in the summer, church can be like a backyard party; and a backyard party can be like church. July is a huge birthday month in our family and I remember having us all together in our back yard. There were so many of us it was so much fun. We will do this again. We can gather the clan and be thankful for what God has brought us through together. We can Pray, Eat, Talk and Laugh and be glad we were able to love and live with those in our family who are no longer with us. Some of us adults are like kids and love birthdays. But kids are so much fun, even holding a cupcake with a candle in it. That works for some adults, too.
Haven’t done that for quite some July’s, and I’m sure it will not happen this year either. But I am thankful for all those who accept little ones sent to them to care for as a true gift of God, no matter what their mode of transportation from Him to us. Sometimes we are called to love other people’s children as our own and we love them that way so much. It’s not hard to love anyone’s child. I so love the photos of brand new babies on Facebook with their proud new parents and grandparents. Reminds me of our daughter who loved what she called a “fresh baby.”
I also cringe and cry sometimes at photos on there of missing and lost children of any age who don’t get to go on with the people who love them. My sister has a good philosophy I accepted a long time ago. She says we have to love ‘em while we’ve got’ em.
A verse below says God is going to settle us after we suffer awhile. It made me think of my earthly father, Ed, who liked a nice quiet supper with his family after a hard day. His days were hard because he was disabled, but he always kept going. Dad loved a good laugh, and enjoyed people, but around the evening dinner table we were to be seen and not heard. If the five of us got too rowdy, he would kick back in his chair and say in a loud voice, You kids settle down. If the four older of us were being noisy in our bedrooms upstairs, he would stand at the bottom of the stairs and call up to us in his best Dad voice, Settle down up there!
Do you suppose God feels that way about all of us right now? You guys all settle down!
Mark 9:37 Whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name, receiveth me and whosoever shall receiveth me, receiveth not me, but him that sent me.
1 Peter 5:10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.
John 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words and my Father will love him and We will come unto him and make our abode with him.
