Pulling on the Father's Arm

Note:  the genesis of this post came from something that happened to me before I started Blogging.

One day I was working on the computer. Well all right, I wasn't actually working. I was on Facebook catching up with what was going on with my friends.  Anybody who is on Facebook knows that it can be addictive. There seems to be a deep seated desire within us to want to be up to date with what is going on in each others lives as well as to let everyone know what you are doing.

It was after dinner and the girls were running around the house playing. My youngest came up to me, started pulling on my arm and said "Daddy, Daddy! Play Monster Chase!"  Monster Chase is a simple game where I basically chase after them with my arms up in the air like Frankenstein and growling like some ferocious monster. Other times I chase after them as "Grandpa Pants Monster" where I hike up my pants over my belly button with my shirt tucked in. After chasing them for some time I will either tackle and tickle them for a while or let them tackle and tickle me. It is great fun.

Anyways, it had been a long day and I was feeling selfish. I did something in retrospect that was very foolish and regret. I brushed them off and said "Not now." I really have no excuse for my behavior. Thinking back, I should have dropped what I was doing and started chasing them around. I do not want to set an example for them that it is ok to "blow off" your children.

Does the Father do that when we are in prayer or carried away in the Spirit so much that we are pulling on his arm to enjoy his presence and love?  Of course not.  A couple examples in Scripture come to mind. The Annointing in Bethany (John 12:1-8) and Mark 10:13-16. Now I realize that the passage Mark has other theological implications, but it also me that even though the Lord was busy trying to save the world, he could still make time for kids.

Since then I have made a concerted effort to make sure that I don't miss out on these opportunities.  But it is tough.  With all of our obligations and work and responsibilities.

I just don't want them to know that every moment with them should be peace and joy.

Blessings to you all.

Tim

Facebook and Reconnecting with the Pleasures of His Creation, Part 2

In my previous post I talked about reconnecting with the pleasures of His Creation. Namely, enjoying everything around me because all things were created by Him through his Son.

At this point you are probably asking yourself, what does this have to do with your Blog - "fatherhood and the Father"? The Father has created this world for us to enjoy so that we can love and serve him. It is a gift to us that we must take care of.

And this gets me to the point. Together with my wife, we have created a small microcosm of the world in our house and their little "bubble" of life which consists of mommy, daddy, the pets, and the house. This little microcosm is their little world created by my wife and I. Just as the Father has created this world for us to enjoy and show us his love, it is our duty to ensure that our children's world is as secure and enjoyable as our love for them is deep.

A difference in my mind, and I know there are many but this is the one that is relevant for me at this point, is that we do not create this world for our children in order that they serve us. Quite the contrary, we create the world around them so that they learn to be loved, to love, and to love the Father and his only Son.

Blessings to you

Tim

Facebook and Reconnecting with the Pleasures of His Creation, Part 1

How can we love and serve the Lord if we are not happy with ourselves, our surroundings, and those around us? What does it take to enjoy your life? I've been thinking about it a lot lately. God has made this world for us so that we can love and serve him. We should take pleasure in His creation.

A couple of weeks ago my wife and I joined Facebook. We have been enjoying the hyper-connectedness that social networking offers. Often times it can be very time consuming which can be a problem for some. But it is a nice distraction. Especially being able to connect with old friends. For me, this has been the best part.

Recently, I reconnected with one of my best friends from college. I hadn't talked to him via phone in over a year and a half. But like most of those types of relationships in life, it was easy to jump right back into a conversation with him and it was like we had been talking just the day before. In college, my friend had a considerable zest for life. While visiting his Facebook page, I realized from his profile and pictures that he had posted, that the fire for squeezing the most out of life was still burning in his soul.

That got me thinking about how, in a way, I had lost that fire for squeezing the most out of life and that I had seriously insulated myself. This has kept me from really enjoying everything that is going well in my life. A good job, wife that loves me and that I love, two beautiful little girls, a roof over my head, bible study group that is like an extended family, living in one of the most beautiful places on earth, etc. Yes I was momentarily happy now and then. But I wasn't actively "squeezing" everything out of life that I could.

In my conversion story I mentioned some of the things that really give me pleasure about the Father's Creation. Truly, the Glory of God's Creation pours into everything in our life. Therefore it is not just nature, but everything in my life that I need to really start enjoying. For how else can we love and serve him if we are not happy with ourselves, our surroundings, and those around us. I must do this right now.

Much like someone who has an addiction must first realize they have a problem, I have realized that I'm really not enjoying life like I should. I pray that I have turned a corner and can really do this. With the crush of life and work, it is very easy (at least for myself) to hunker down and insulate from what is good in my life and everything that the Lord has put in our life to enjoy.

I think this ties directly in with this previous post concerning being a light for my children. If I'm not actively enjoying my life, how will they learn to do so?  Now things aren't as dire as they might sound.  I do enjoy life.  Probably just not as much as I should.

Update: I actually wrote the text of this blog about a month ago.  I am happy to report that things are going better and am actively trying to seek out and enjoy life a lot more.  Now that I have been back to work for about a week, it has become more difficult because of the pressures of life.  But with some diligence and prayer, we'll get there.

Blessings

Tim

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