Over the last couple of weeks I have been blessed in so many ways. My wife and I have been blessed with our first grandchild and I was blessed with a skin condition that sent me to urgent care with a follow-up visit with our family physician. These two examples may seem like opposites, but let me explain the goodness of God in both.
Eliza Jane, born June 18th, has brought such joy into our lives! I now understand the comment my friend and IDES volunteer, Pat Brooking, shared with me. Pat said, "There is no comparison of the love and joy brought on by grandbabies." How true!
The visit to the doctor, on the other hand, was a mere inconvenience for something as simple as "prickly heat". Basically, I had been overexposed to the sun.The blessing behind this was it forced me to visit the doctor, set up a physical, and uncover an ongoing sugar issue. Without the simple inconvenience of the prickly heat, the diabetes would not have been caught!
This all brought me to a time of inventory in my life, thinking about relationships and purpose. As I focused on joy (baby Eliza) versus my circumstances (diabetes), this made me think back to my first love of inviting Jesus into my life. The Holy Spirit brought to mind Romans 8:14, which says, "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God." Living life just as baby Eliza will do as she grows up, having her daddy wrapped around her little finger, waiting at the door as he returns home from work, and jumping on his lap as he sits in his recliner to rest after a long day, somewhat mirrors our relationship with our Heavenly Father. He is a Good Father wanting the best for us, desiring to talk with us continually, loving us unconditionally, always watching out for us, all with open arms waiting for us to acknowledge Him in all things.
As a Response Coordinator at IDES, I spend a lot of time deployed on disaster sites. Therefore, I get to meet a lot of people right where they are in life—homeowners, neighbors, family, friends, supply store employees, fuel station attendants, restaurant workers, and more. Every conversation can and often does lead to sharing a part of the goodness of God. If God is this good in our lives, how can we not be excited to share what He has done for us with the message of salvation?
Over the last few months of deployment in Florida for hurricane Ian, I've been honored and blessed to be a part of leading some individuals to Christ and baptizing them into the family of God. As I've stated before, this is why I do what I do here at IDES; it's all about Him.
Let's be thankful for His goodness in all our lives, staying aware of His presence that is ever with us. Let’s do our best to remember to invite Him into our every circumstance, living out being "the true sons of God". Dueteromomy 31:6 says, "Be strong and of good cheer, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you".
As we do this He will lead us to life opportunities for Him to love people through us by putting certain people in our lives. And let us always remember in all circumstances and diagnoses, "But God"! May we daily represent Christ well in all things that we do, and when that day comes, may we hear, "Well done good and faithful servant," entering the gates with praise and thanksgiving!
May God bless all of you and thank you for letting me share my heart. I pray something in this writing will challenge all of us to draw closer to Him in every breath we are blessed to breathe.