Family...

Family? When you read that word, what pictures pop into your mind? Moms and dads and kids being together? Maybe Al Pacino or Tony Soprano? Whatever it is, I am sure that you are not the only one who sees some kind of similar image when they think of the word family; some are good, and others are not. Regardless, the word get us thinking.

This week our family changed by an addition of one: a grandson. Our first grandchild, and he is nothing short of an absolute miracle gift from God. Just like with all of life's changes, people have been sharing their experiences and what being a grandparent was going to be like. Although I appreciated all of the sharing and sentiments, we have found it to be somewhat like riding a roller-coaster: no matter what we heard, the reality of the experience did not hit us until we experienced it ourselves. Not that the stories weren't amazing, they were, and we were full of anticipation, but the reality was different, and was more amazing than we could have imagined.

Loving a child is unconditional, and loving a grandchild is almost no different, except the fact that there is not the caveat of responsibility. Caring, feeding, day-to-day guiding, and the like, is not up to us...we are left with one thing to do: LOVE. Its amazing, wonderful, and somewhat liberating all at the same time. It hit me when I picked up our grandson for the first time and stared into his tiny, beautiful, face: I believe this is the way God loves us. He just loves us, no more, no less. We have earthly parents who are responsible for certain things, but God's role starts and ends with loving us. Is this the way you look to your relationship with God?

I am not saying that God is simply some kind of cosmic super-grandpa, but in some ways, in how He loves us He is. Gina and I love our children, and we love them more than we could show or tell them, but we are also responsible for them. There are some things that they need from us, that as parents, we provide for them until they go out into the world on their own: food and shelter, yes, but also security and guidance. Even though most children would like to avoid as much guidance as possible, they still need it. When we looked at Emory, our grandson, the first time, we looked at him differently. I could go on and on about this, but I feel it would fall short of the actual experience, so you will have to trust me, and wait to see if grandchildren are part of your future.

Not everyone will experience having grandchildren, I only wish it were possible, but that is not always the reality. What I do know is that every person can experience this kind of love from God. It's readily available, easy to access, unconditional, and there for the taking...and this love has a name: Jesus. When you enter into a relationship with Jesus, the love of the Father is what you experience. I can do this love no justice with mere black words on an contrasting electronic white background - you have to experience this yourself...you simply HAVE TO!!! So in the immortal words of the famous philosopher/theologian Nike: Just Do It! Ask Jesus to come into your life, accept His completed work on the cross, and you will never be the same.

...just sayin'

In His grip,

Pastor Pat