Thanksgiving Living: Thankful to God for Children and Grandchildren

“Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him.”

(Psalm 127:3)

This week, we’re focusing especially on being thankful for community, for the people in our lives.  Today I am giving thanks to God for my children and grandchildren.

I remember the overwhelming feeling of suddenly realizing that I was a parent.  (Yes, for guys, sometimes it hits us all at once the first time we hold our child.}  Suddenly my identity was changed.  No longer just a son, brother or husband.  Now I was a father.  Now I had more responsibility, and more joy.  And a whole lot of other things that I had no way to foresee.

Being a parent is most rewarding, frustrating, difficult, joyous undertaking there is.  I have grown tremendously through my relationship with my children, especially growing into the responsibility that God entrusted to me and Teresa in giving us these gifts.

It continues today, as I am thankful for our relationships with them and the blessings and joy that are part of my life because of them.  And among these blessings is the gift of grandchildren.  Once again, my identity shifted.   Once again, I’m thankful to God for this incredible privilege and gift.

One of the blessings of being a parent is growing in understanding of what it means to confess that God is my Father.  I have greater insight into the joy and sorrow that God surely experiences in His relationship with me.  And I have grown in appreciating His unstoppable grace, in welcoming His children back into His arms again and again.

Thanks be to God the Father for being my Father, and gifting me with the privilege of being a father and grandfather

 

What are you thankful for today?

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