Last Sunday while in Texas I was at First Church (Methodist) A nod to my family and upbringing heritage, who are all Methodist. My brother B and his wife M, rode the train down to meet me for worship. That alone made the morning delightful as I have not been able to spend time with my brother or his wife in months. First Church is huge, and exciting. A choir loft that holds more than many of the churches membership in my upbringing, the service was traditional and beautiful. A baby was Christened, a promise we made to rear and surround this child in Christian love and upbringing. A military family home temporarily to baptise this baby,from Germany there with extended family baptise a new precious baby girl in her long baptismal gown….the stepson about 15, lovingly embracing the new baby stepsister infant in her delicate gown. The minister told us many things about the joy of babies….that we have to feed, care, clothe, and plan for the schedule of the baby, but as a Grandfather and minister for over 40 years he had learned another requirement that the baby allowed…..that to adore the baby, to have that privilege, gives us for a brief moment in time the glimpse of how our Father in heaven adores us. As the fifteen year old or so stepson held the baby, the minister said to him….”Son, as you look at your sister, and adore her….(which was obvious to all he did) with adoring love is exactly how God looks down and sees you…..and holds you….in His hands” The teenager was visibly moved, his countenance changed from uneasy to well loved….an “ah ha” moment….and then the minister went on to talk about the beauty of chosen family…whether in a step family or in adopting people in your life to simply love on them….that we are all the body of Christ and the Family of God.
The rest of the sermon went very well, and was well received, but in a succinct way, one minister made a very real difference in one teenage stepson’s life….in the hearts of many of us who were privileged to see what power love has….and it was of God!
1 Thessolonians 5:11 tells us “Comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing”
We as step and blended families need more than most, this surrounding of love to overcome the hurts that broken families brings to our lives….let us all reach out and remind each other and our children, that we are adored and loved by God! Who needs to be adored and loved simply because they need love and care in your world today?
God is good!
