I?m not one to?gush too much about personal matters.
But I am becoming more of softie?with age I guess.?As I sit and type this?in my living room?I have?a healthy three-month?old boy to my right in his?swing peacefully?sleeping like a?hibernating polar bear. To my left I have a healthy three-year?old boy chomping down on turkey bacon and watching the adventures of talking bugs on ?Sunny Patch.? In the bedroom my beautiful wife is recovering from successive sleepless?nights taking care of the aforementioned three-month?old. I have a job that enables me to sow a great deal of my time into all of them. I?m able to sit back and enjoy a steaming pot of black gold/Dunkin Donuts Coffee.
I?m not pretending it is usually this serene on the home front?(two hours earlier I endured a two diaper diarrhea attack), but the few moments it is give ample enough time to stop and reflect.
Not only do I have a healthy family with a roof over?its head and food in the fridge, my extended family stands together to support the boys with lots of love, support and impromptu babysitting. Mimi and Paw, Mickey and Papa and everyone in between are quite liberal with their kisses, hugs and undivided attention.
God has?incomprehensibly blessed me?with the most important things in life. I?m not sure why. I am sure it has to do with His grace. But why it would fall on me in this way is a mystery. I know the American?social landscape is tattered and torn with broken families, divorce rates, and tragic storylines.
This temporary circumstance of blessing?will probably?last for?only a sliver of time.
But?instead of nervously waiting for the other shoe to drop I will thank God for this moment right now. Sometimes we miss opportunities of simple gratitude by fearing Job-like sufferings to befall us at every glimmer of goodness we experience in life. I am sure there are ordained?points in life we must learn the hard truth of the stricken man?s words in?Job 1:21:
?Naked I came from my mother, and naked I will return. The LORD has given, and the LORD has taken away! May the name of the LORD be praised.???
As the Sovereign Creator and Ruler God may take away what is rightfully His anyways. This includes family, health, wealth, and comfort in general. In some?ways, Job preaches the non-prosperity gospel.?In the end, God doesn?t?have to give an explanation or apologize to anyone for the mysteries of Providence.
But there are gracious twin truths stressed here (Job 1:21). We need not neglect one to highlight the other. God gives; in fact He regularly does exponentially more giving to us than we deserve. He has absolute ownership rights on every molecule of oxygen we breathe, parcel of food we eat, penny we earn, and familial relationship we enjoy.?And He grants those things every day regardless of our reciprocating praise to Him.
Yes, God takes away. But our limited understanding will never begin to?comprehend this until we see the day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute and second by second graciousness of this God who also takes away.
It is He who upholds and sustains life as we know it.
Amazingly, He grants much more than that. In Christ, He grants forgiveness of sins to enemies, adoption as His children, and eternal life enjoying Him as Father?forevermore. He does this to display to us the highest good imaginable: His own glory in person and work of Jesus Christ. (2 Cor 4:4,6)
He?grants?all?this to me despite my general sinful?propensity to laziness, lust, and license.
Wow, my level of daily gratitude is sickening.
Regardless, thank you Father for the common and special graces in this life you give. From natural fatherhood to supernatural adoption may ?the name of the Lord be praised? (Job 1:21).
Amen.
Bryan Daniels
I am a follower of Jesus, a husband to Jessica, and a father of two boys: Josiah and Gideon. I teach high school math as a job, read reformed theology as a hobby, and write this blog just for kicks. With the rest of my time I coach football and track.lvs abu musab al zarqawi teacher appreciation day the wire capitals j cole navy seals training
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