Today, my little grandson turned “one”. My wife and daughters could not let the momentous occasion pass without a celebration, so family and friends gathered at our house to celebrate Jeffrey’s very first birthday. I must admit, I had a lot more fun than I thought I would. My wife, Patti, and my daughters, Jennifer (Jeffrey’s mom) and Wendy, did a fantastic job of creating a fun party atmosphere, providing food and drink, and surprising everybody with games that were fun and creative, and where Jeffrey was a part of the game. Everyone participated, and everyone had a great time… especially little Mr. Birthday Boy!Having a baby in the house is an even bigger upheaval than the earthquake I wrote about last week. LOL! It has also been a very great blessing for me and Patti to be a part of his “growing up”. Surprisingly, babies have a lot to teach us. I know that many people do not have an agent of chaos (a baby) in their home, so… this week my prayer is that I can share with you what my grandson has taught me.
I pray that you let babies teach you…
How to laugh with joy and abandon,
How to delight in each new discovery,
How to love with no restrictions or limits,
How to grow and learn every single day,
And most of all, that you let babies teach you…
How YOU, like tiny babies… are a blessing and a gift from God!
May blessings and love fill your home and surround your family… in Jesus’ name.
Your brother in Christ,
Dave Hoag
"How to laugh with joy and abandon,
ReplyDeleteHow to delight in each new discovery,
How to love with no restrictions or limits,
How to grow and learn every single day,
And most of all, that you let babies teach you…
How YOU, like tiny babies… are a blessing and a gift from God!"
This reminds me of the post on May 31, about each day being an adventure. To quote:
"When I begin my day in prayer, thanking God for the privilege of walking one more day on this earth… and then giving that day back to Him to live and breathe in His service… my days are filled with adventure. Sometimes my adventure is an interesting, fleeting encounter with another brother or sister in Christ; other times my adventure gives me the opportunity to help another, often a stranger. My adventures always leave me in awe because I become more fully aware of God’s presence in my life."
Another time Thomas Merton was quoted as not knowing where he was going, but that trying to follow the Lord must be pleasing to Him.
Both are grounded in believing that God has us in His hands and we should just enjoy that rather than dilute and dissipate our joy by focussing too much on what we don't or might not have now or especially in the future. Some days it is hard to practice Joy and be reminded of God's presence - but He IS HERE! And there is more to learn every day! With delight! I just need to bother to notice!