This past Sunday afternoon, yesterday, as I waited to go to church to pray with a few of our men I was holding our feverish baby girl; she was not content with anything else. My wife was giving her some cold medicine to help with her symptoms and I said… “Just don’t drip it on my shirt.” She didn’t. No sooner than when the medicine slid down her throat did she with force spew up all the contents of the formula bottle she had just had; my dress shirt and my pants were baptized in vomit. Instantly, my wife and I both laughed. (You have to laugh at yourself and some circumstances… it’s healthy.) Thankfully my loving wife, after changing the baby into dry clothes, set out to iron me another pair of “church clothes” as I sat there in the wet holding the baby; who wouldn’t be content with anything else. I didn’t mind, that’s what fathers do.
Jesus said to His disciples, “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?” Did you catch the “being evil” part? I bolded it and underlined it so you would…..
Hold that thought; I’ve got to go;
the baby is awake and fussing. (Often I tend to her early on my off days so that her mother, who rarely gets a break, can sleep in.) I will be back to edit and finish this later.
the baby is awake and fussing. (Often I tend to her early on my off days so that her mother, who rarely gets a break, can sleep in.) I will be back to edit and finish this later.
….Okay…
She is content to play in her corral for the moment.
Did you hold that thought… did you consider the “If ye then, being evil,” part of Jesus’ statement? How often as fathers do we get bothered by the “distractions” or circumstances that our children cause? Just this morning before coming to the computer, after feeding Big Baby (That’s what I call her… She is in the 90th percentile for her age… She is a big baby.), after feeding her I placed her in her play-pen to let her rest and she quietly fell asleep. I used the time to pick up a book and edify my mind and soul….
She is content to play in her corral for the moment.
Did you hold that thought… did you consider the “If ye then, being evil,” part of Jesus’ statement? How often as fathers do we get bothered by the “distractions” or circumstances that our children cause? Just this morning before coming to the computer, after feeding Big Baby (That’s what I call her… She is in the 90th percentile for her age… She is a big baby.), after feeding her I placed her in her play-pen to let her rest and she quietly fell asleep. I used the time to pick up a book and edify my mind and soul….
Hold that thought; I’ve got to go;
wife is up, Big Baby is fussing again… I’m so sorry friend, Priorities call…
wife is up, Big Baby is fussing again… I’m so sorry friend, Priorities call…
….Okay…
Breakfast and pleasant talk with my Sunshine (That’s My Wife) and Big Baby has eaten.
As I was saying we cannot be bothered by and feel that the things we as fathers and husband must do are distractions. Our first priority should be our family and since “Charity suffereth long, [and] is kind;” and charity “seeketh not her own,” it is not charitable towards them if we are bothered by them. Frankly, if we feel the things we as fathers and husbands do, are “must do’s” than that is not charitable either. If we love them we will want to do those things, no matter what we have to drop to do it. I love to write and I love to read but I love my family more, indescribably more.
Breakfast and pleasant talk with my Sunshine (That’s My Wife) and Big Baby has eaten.
As I was saying we cannot be bothered by and feel that the things we as fathers and husband must do are distractions. Our first priority should be our family and since “Charity suffereth long, [and] is kind;” and charity “seeketh not her own,” it is not charitable towards them if we are bothered by them. Frankly, if we feel the things we as fathers and husbands do, are “must do’s” than that is not charitable either. If we love them we will want to do those things, no matter what we have to drop to do it. I love to write and I love to read but I love my family more, indescribably more.
Now, while the baby slept in her play-pen this morning I read. I read a very instructive and helpful book written by a pastor and I am sure it’s stuff God wants me familiar with. While I read, and while I was enjoying reading, Big Baby started to fuss.
Honestly, I was a little bit bothered and I was hoping she would go back to sleep. I walked to her “cage” and gave her a pacifier and rubbed her head a bit to try to sooth her back to sleep. It worked!!!
Slowly I walked backward and then, “whaaaaa!” She cried. I was slightly annoyed… then almost in the same instant I was equally grieved in my Spirit and convicted.
I began to think how lovingly attentive God is to our cries and how open He is to hearing our concerns. I began to quietly confess my wickedness (Yes, wickedness) and prayed Lord whatever she wants or needs I will provide. As I prayed, leaning over the play-pen, she fell back into a deep sleep. But my desire to read was not as nearly as strong as my desire to be right with my Heavenly Father and to love my family properly.
Honestly, I was a little bit bothered and I was hoping she would go back to sleep. I walked to her “cage” and gave her a pacifier and rubbed her head a bit to try to sooth her back to sleep. It worked!!!
Slowly I walked backward and then, “whaaaaa!” She cried. I was slightly annoyed… then almost in the same instant I was equally grieved in my Spirit and convicted.
I began to think how lovingly attentive God is to our cries and how open He is to hearing our concerns. I began to quietly confess my wickedness (Yes, wickedness) and prayed Lord whatever she wants or needs I will provide. As I prayed, leaning over the play-pen, she fell back into a deep sleep. But my desire to read was not as nearly as strong as my desire to be right with my Heavenly Father and to love my family properly.
Society today is full of people who don’t know how to love properly because they don’t know the Lord of love. Actually, It is a Wicked Mess! We often forget how to love properly because of selfishness and self-interests. It is wickedness! Jesus said to His disciples, “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?” We need His help to love properly, if you belong to Him, if He is your Father, ask Him for help loving the way He loves. Don’t you know He will do it!!! He will give good things to His children when they ask Him to.
Hold that thought; I’ve got to go;…
Back again,…
One last thought. If we are “hot” towards our own things, or even other seemingly good things like church, the Bible, and things of God and are “cold” towards our families it is wickedness. God says, if we are this way, we are lukewarm. In Revelation He said to the church of Laodicea “So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.” He finds lukewarmness in our churches and in our homes very distasteful! We need His help to love properly, if you belong to Him, if He is your Father, and you still have trouble loving properly, ask Him for help loving the way He loves; selflessly, completely, and unbothered. Don’t you know He will do it!!! He will give good things to His children when they ask Him to….
In so doing “He will increase… and We will decrease!”
One last thought. If we are “hot” towards our own things, or even other seemingly good things like church, the Bible, and things of God and are “cold” towards our families it is wickedness. God says, if we are this way, we are lukewarm. In Revelation He said to the church of Laodicea “So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.” He finds lukewarmness in our churches and in our homes very distasteful! We need His help to love properly, if you belong to Him, if He is your Father, and you still have trouble loving properly, ask Him for help loving the way He loves; selflessly, completely, and unbothered. Don’t you know He will do it!!! He will give good things to His children when they ask Him to….
In so doing “He will increase… and We will decrease!”
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