Devotion for Friday, February 3

Children are a heritage from the Lord (Psalm 127)

My son, Micah, was born February 3, 2008.  My daughter, Leah, was born January 30, 2011. Because of the closeness of their birthdays, we will, on occasion, celebrate a shared party like we are doing today with a bowling party this evening. 

They are really close. Their older brother, Noah, is 5 years older than Micah and 8 years older than Leah.  He's a great big brother to them both and close with them both for sure.

Leah and Micah, being closer in age however, are always playing together.  They are tight.  Which means that they fight and argue and compete all the time.  To be sure, this makes for some frustrating moments for the parents.  Noah rises above all of this generally, being a teenager.  But Leah and Micah play regularly and have many of the same friends.  And I love this.

They will be in high school together (Noah will be out of college by then).  They will be in college together (while Noah will be hopefully making the big bucks).  This portends that as they grow up, Leah and Micah will share so much of their lives, having a common experience in many ways.

This reminds me of my sister and I.  She was 2 1/2 years younger than me. We played together alot when we were younger. Later on, we shared similar experiences, both in high school and in college (Lenoir-Rhyne).  I treasure those shared experiences so much and I am delighted that my children will have a similar relationship.

My prayer today is simple:  I pray that my children will grow up knowing that they are loved and unique and valued, by their parents, their siblings, and by God.  I pray that they will be faithful, living into the Jesus life with all its blessings and challenges.  I pray that they will value themselves, value others, and strive for justice and peace in all the world.  

And I pray that they have a TON OF FUN together and make lasting memories!

Happy Birthdays Leah and Micah. Daddy loves you! 

In Christ,

Amen