We played at the park last weekend, after a memorial celebration honoring one of our family members who passed on. It wasn’t overly solemn, nor did the rifts between us show themselves much.
After enjoying the potluck meal, Jerry and I headed to the playground with our grandchildren and grand-nephews. Our son-the-father-of-several gave his dad an underdog on the swing, and for a few moments our aging bodies enjoyed giddy playfulness before aches and pains slowed us down.
My family doesn’t always experience such pleasant afternoons.
We’re not perfect
It’s not a shocker. My family has issues. Whose doesn’t, right? But did you realize God had the first dysfunctional family? The genealogy in Luke 3:38 says, ” . . . son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.”
Adam and Eve rebelled against God, and their descendants carried it on, getting themselves into all kinds of trouble.
We still do.
I remember another verse from the book of Luke, where a woman calls out to Jesus publicly, saying that his mother surely is blessed to have a son such as he. His response was to turn her attention to the greater blessing, hearing God’s words and doing them. That means it doesn’t matter how perfect your children are, blessing comes from doing God’s will.
“Now while Jesus was saying these things, one of the women in the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, ‘Blessed (happy, favored by God) is the womb that gave birth to You and breasts at which You nursed!’ But He said, ‘On the contrary, blessed (happy, favored by God) are those who hear the word of God and continually observe it” (Luke 11:27-28 AMP).
Mary was chosen by God to be the mother of his Son. She was blessed because she heard God’s promises and believed them, which prepared her to receive the difficult assignment God gave her. Her cousin Elizabeth said, “Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!” (Luke 1:45 NIV).
The reward will come
My assignment is to listen to God, believe what he says, and do as he directs. For Jerry and Kathy, that meant raising four children, lots of foster kids, and now loving our grandchildren. He may give others a completely different assignment as they walk through life. We’re not all called to raise his holy Son, after all. Thank you, God!
Raising children is a temporary job. Loving God, listening to him and doing his will, is forever!
How kind our Father is, rewarding us while we still walk on this planet and before we’ve fully overcome our sinful natures.
How kind, indeed.
“Behold, children are a heritage and a gift from the Lord. The fruit of the womb is a reward” (Psalm 127:3 AMP).
by Kathy Sheldon Davis
kathysheldondavis.com 
Kathy, I love your encouragement to focus on hearing God’s word, obeying Him and living in His promises.
Kathy, thanks for the openness in sharing that your family has conflicts. Mine does, too. Sometimes I feel isolated in that. My favorite part of this post is: “My assignment is to listen to God, believe what he says, and do as he directs.” I need to be obedient to walk forward in accepting my husband, even when I’m in disagreement with him. I think God is using this post to tell me to accept, love, and hold steady, even while stuff is unresolved. That’s how I can bless the next generation.