Happy Birthday Daddy!

God’s Wonderful Gift

Today is January 18th, 2011 and as I sit here to type this devotional I am now officially 37 years “Young”.  Yep today is my birthday and I was greeted this morning with a very simple gift that is worth more to me than any amount of money, fame, or fortune that I could buy.

This morning while sitting over breakfast in a hotel lobby in Chicago my cell phone rang and as I looked at the caller ID I was excited to see that it was my wife calling from home.  I answered the phone with a chipper “Hello” and there was a few moments of silence and then my five children, along with my wife, began to sing “Happy Birthday”.  The sound coming from the other end of the phone immediately put a smile on my face and a tear in my eye.  What a blessing to have your own personal choir sing sweet notes of Happy Birthday to you and only you!  I look forward to the day when I hear another voice join the choir, “Baby Grace”, who will be born in later February or early March.

A generation or two ago large families with up to a dozen children seemed more the norm and not the exception.  Children were viewed as a blessing and not as a curse.  In this generation it continues to amaze me how our culture views the blessing of a large family as a burden, an interruption, and a downright nuisance. In short we have taken what God gives as a precious gift and reduced it down to a choice based on our busy and selfish life styles as adults to say “1 or 2” children is all that we can handle. 

I know not every family is meant to be a large family like ours.  My simple thought for the day though is why not let God make that choice for you and your family.  Do not let the fear of man; our culture, or most importantly our selfish desires to live the “American Dream” make that choice for you and your spouse.  The “American Dream” with all of its stresses and demands on the family is really the “American Nightmare”

 In closing I would like us to reflect on God’s word in reference to children.  Psalm 127:3-5 KJV Psa 127:3 NKJV - Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward.  Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one's youth. Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them; They shall not be ashamed, But shall speak with their enemies in the gate.

Today on my 37th birthday I am a happy and blessed man with my “Quiver Full” family!

In His Amazing Grace,
paul
Romans 1:20

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