My Little Man
There is a little man who has captured my heart. He has blue eyes and blond hair and little peachy cheeks. He looks up to me and likes to hold my hand. Last night, we watched Toy Story and played on his drum-set while singing, “Little Bunny Fou-Fou.”
He is two-and-a-half years old.
He is my baby brother.
Last night, we shared snack time. He climbed up into his little chair and wanted two Go-Gurts. “One for you and one for me!” he said.
I look at this little man and I love him. We have the same father, and we have the same blood. We are bonded together forever in that way, because we have the same family. We are also bonded by the bonds of love. I understand this best when we spend time together, singing songs and sharing snacks.
So it is with the family of God. By Jesus’ blood, we believers are bonded together and share the same Father. We have the same blood forever. However, we don’t fully understand this joy until we spend time together as brothers and sisters enjoying this special bond and sharing our love for each other and for our Father—sometimes this involves singing songs and also sharing snacks! (Colossians 3:16, Psalm 34:8, Mark 14:21-23)
This semester I have been so blessed to spend very intentional time in prayer before my Father with two sisters in the Lord. As we enjoyed sharing time together this semester going for walks, sharing meals, and praying together, I have come to understand and appreciate my sisters and my Father more! There is something about observing the way my sisters pray and spend time with the Lord that helps me understand more of who He is and how much He loves us!
The same feelings came as I spent time with my dad and baby brother this week singing songs and playing piano and drum-set together. I love my dad, but I feel that I know him so little sometimes. I have lived primarily with my mom since my parents divorced 17 years ago, and my dad began a new family almost three years ago with the birth of my baby brother. Through watching him be a parent to this little guy, I have been so blessed and so able to understand more of my father as I observe their relationship. As I relate to my little brother, I feel that I am able to understand more of who my father is based on his relationship with him, and it is most intensified when we are able to all spend time together.
This all leads me to think of how important it is to spend time with other believers. It is essential to understanding more of who our Father is and also to enjoy the bonds of love as we are committed to growing together in the Lord and in love. (Hebrews 10:19-25)
What are some of the ways that you have been blessed through your family in your relationship to God? How do you define blessing? I find it encouraging that even within the chaos and confusion due to my parents’ past divorce, the Lord has given me glimpses of His Love and what it is like to grow closer to Him in the midst of it. Even when I’m singing the “Elmo Song” with my baby brother and watching my dad just smile at us, it helps me grow closer not only to my little man, but also to our dad, and that means a lot. How many ways does the Lord surprise us with His love even in the midst of deep and sometimes difficult family stuff? What are some of the ways that this has happened in your life?
