As a new father I am thinking thoughts that I've never thought before. I was walking on a path today with John in his stroller and I had to cover the top of the canapy of the stroller with a blanket because the bright sun was in his eyes. So at that point John couldn't see anything except through a little open flap in the back that is in direct view of me pushing the stroller from behind. I looked down at him and I caught him looking directly at me.
We looked and smiled at each other and I thought, "Wow, he really does look like me." I then thought, "Maybe that is why God created genetics the way they are, because He wanted people to have categories to understand that children look like their parents. They reflect the physical image of their parents. Children are real chips off the old block. In the same way God wants us to look like him as it were, not in some ontological sense. That is, God is a spirit, and He does not want us to become spirits, rather He wants us to reflect Him in His attributes, in His virtue. Real chips off the old block as it were."
I then began to pray in my mind for John that he might be, as Paul said in Romans 8, "be conformed to the image of His Son." I pray that he might only emulate me in my small growth in grace and not in my great failures, and further that he might look to the Father through Jesus Christ and advance in grace further than I will. O God that you might do that for him.
We looked and smiled at each other and I thought, "Wow, he really does look like me." I then thought, "Maybe that is why God created genetics the way they are, because He wanted people to have categories to understand that children look like their parents. They reflect the physical image of their parents. Children are real chips off the old block. In the same way God wants us to look like him as it were, not in some ontological sense. That is, God is a spirit, and He does not want us to become spirits, rather He wants us to reflect Him in His attributes, in His virtue. Real chips off the old block as it were."
I then began to pray in my mind for John that he might be, as Paul said in Romans 8, "be conformed to the image of His Son." I pray that he might only emulate me in my small growth in grace and not in my great failures, and further that he might look to the Father through Jesus Christ and advance in grace further than I will. O God that you might do that for him.
I love hearing your heart through your writing! What a blessing your family's blog has been to me :)
ReplyDeleteYes, Adam, it is always daunting when I realize the privilege and stewardship of parenthood. "But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us."Cor. 4:7
ReplyDeleteThat was really encouraging to read, Adam. I love how the Lord gives us a true understanding for spiritual concepts through sometimes "commonplace" life happenings. Though not to equate being a father as something commonplace by any means! I was thinking through a similar thought the other day as I contemplated how I often (wrongly) refer to my parents' home as "home." Though it will always hold a special place in my heart and will continue to have an element of "home" to me, my real home is now with David. I thought of how that is similar to what happens when we become children of God. We have a new name; we are part of a new family. Earth is no longer our real home, though we may enjoy elements in it. Instead our real home is heaven.
ReplyDeleteJust want to let you know how very much David and I love the darling pictures of John. As we were looking at one the other day (of John crawling around in his "T is for Turtle outfit, huge smile on his face) David wondered if our children, Lord willing, would be as cute. I sure hope so!
Love and miss you three!
Kelsea (and David, too)