Humbling Awe of God's Great Glory

Many a grandparent who, arriving here, having pressed forward, can relate and have shared with us the glory of this ascension. It is wonderful to have, first of all, parents who have demonstrated with us, the ways of grand parenting well, being excellent role models paving the way ahead. Wonderful again, are the multitude of friends we have grown up with, who also walked and press forward in our familial promotion to 'grandparents'. 

Struck by the honor, blessing and privilege of the new title, Carrie and I are grateful too that my life was spared from a life threatening malady over a decade ago.  It seems the older I get, the more humbling the circumstance, my life continually moving from enabling expectation, to quiet appreciation for the grace of God's descendant blessing upon us. I have come to expect little, yet continual showers of great blessing wash over our lives as we endured and forged through struggle together for the glory of our God.

As I finish my second sermon for a ministerial class I am taking, I was struck by how often, in the gospel of John, Jesus addresses to those around Him words about "my Father". I ponder.  Fathering is crucial to the health of all of us, for as we see our dads, our relationship with him colors our response to all Jesus stated in scripture about His Father in heaven. Not that it should, it just does.  All I have gleaned from my father, I invested in my son, and now my son gets his chance to do the same. Imperfect as we all are as dads, for me, it is gracefully apparent that God took my meager offerings, multiplied and filled it with His glory, in the heart of my son; and for all this, I am humbly grateful.

In this singular event, my father graduated to great grandpa, I to his esteemed role and my boy to mine. Wow. Do you feel it? To all the fathers who find themselves alienated from this privilege, I stand here to tell you, I am humbly grateful for the grace and gift God has given me to not have missed any of the struggle and great joys of being there for my boy, and I am confident that he will do the same for his boy, Ethen Michael. I have prayed for decades for God's provision of a wonderful wife for my son and He has, like He did for me, provided him such a wonderful woman. Confident as God's grace has been poured into me, He will also do the same and more for my wonderful son and his perfect bride.

There is great peace that rises from lives choosing to honor God. This new grandpa has already been praying and will continue doing so for his sweet grandson, for my hope and legacy is principally found invested into and with my family. If we all choose to be and do as God intended, our world would be powerfully transformed as His glory and grace becomes lovingly revealed through the bounty of our lives, not earthly bounty, but spiritual. Not only in daily bread, but in miraculous faith. I have seen it, I have lived it, and I expect it to continue; His majesty and glory poured out into our world through lives set apart for our Master.

While I may try to take credit for where I find myself, I truly find myself standing in awe of the wonderful work of my Lord, who, taking my meager offerings, multiplied them beyond my wildest imaginings, opened the floodgates of heaven, blessing me beyond what I deserve, not that I may boast in my accomplishments, but rather boast in all my God has done with me, for me and in the lives of those I love, especially my family. May His honor rise within this heart for all the days of my life finding myself standing in humbling awe of my God's great glory.

Thank you too, dad, for pouring your life into mine, your grandson, and now, your great grandson...