Falling Down

As Schaeffer learns to walk and to further test his boundaries, I find myself consistently confronted with the same dilemma. That is, when do I intervene and remove the chance for pain or injury? One of Schaeffer's favorite things to do is to climb on... well anything. The fireplace hearth, the couch, window sills, chairs, other babies, etc. I know I shouldn't intervene all the time, but I must admit that it is painfully hard to sit and watch knowing that pain may insue. I am learning when to intervene, when to do nothing and when to stand crouched and ready to catch a falling child. I can't help but be reminded that God must often feel the same way watching me as I do watching my son. It reminds me to be like Paul rejoicing even in times of trouble because I know that it will lead to maturity and God's glory.

2 Corinthians 12:7-10
7 So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations,   a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. ” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

I think it's worth point out that God isn't even trying to change Paul's behavior, but this demon is allowed to harass him as a preventative measure to guard against boasting. Oh that I would be able to react with joy as Paul when I fall like my son.

God teach me as you did Habakkuk to rejoice when things are bad and show no sign of improvement (Habakkuk 3:17-19). I pray that I, and my family, would find our identity in you so as to remain unmoved by the turbulent waters of this world. That we wouldn't succumb to the fad of trying to find our identy in our job, pocketbook, sexuality, denomination, or anything else that this world uses to replace you as the source of identy (and as such the source of our joy... but that's another post all-together). Amen.

Love Doesn't Divide

Commodities, stocks, trade, exchange, futures... these phrases don't have much meaning for most of us in our daliy lives. The only time we hear or use these words are in our monthly meetings with a financial advisor, if at all. We work hard to manage our resources in the most benificial way. Take time for instance. There is only so much time in a day; so much time to sleep, eat, work, read, exercise, spend with friends, etc. Once that time is up the next day arrives whether or not you are finished with the previous day. It would be nice if I could borrow and sell time from one day to the next to essentially speed up or slow down some days but alas that isn't how it works. However, the greatest commodity that we manage in our lives isn't time. It isn't financial at all. It is love. While that may sound a little crazy and even stupid think of love as a commodity, that's exactly how it occurred to me when Schaeffer was born. I love me wife with all that I am and now another person is coming along that I should love with all that I am; how am I supposed to divide my love? I refused to be one of those parents that abandon their spouse for their kids; or to love one child more than another. I am happy to say that as soon as Schaeffer was born I didn't have to think of a way to manage my love because my love had mysteriously multiplied. I didn't think too much about it at first other than to be grateful for my lack of a quandry about how to manage my love; but upon further reflection I am left with one shining truth. Love is the only commodity that doesn't divide. Rather, whenever you give it away, it multiplies.