Friday,
May 7, 2021
I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, and my soul knows it very well. Psalm 139: 14
Fifty years ago this morning I became a Dad. That morning was one of those truly
unforgettable experiences that changes one’s life. Elizabeth and I wanted a family, but after a
few years of that not happening, we were wondering if we’d ever be
parents. Then came Jennifer Anne…and,
with the truth firmly in place, that a child changes everything,
life with (eventually) three children, began a journey of finding out just how
fearfully and wonderfully we are made.
Jen was full of surprises from day one. When Elizabeth went into labor, we called Dr. Matheson for instructions (probably the 200th time). He said, C’mon, I’ll meet you at the hospital. (I wondered how he could be so calm at a moment like this). He was even more chilled-back when we got there. They took Elizabeth into the labor room, and I was told to wait - outside. Fifty years ago Dads were even more in the dark than these days. After several minutes, the doc reappeared and told me to go on home and get some sleep; the baby would be hours and hours away. So I trudged back home and, on doctor’s orders, drifted off. Ten minutes later the phone was ringing…Congratulations, said Dr. Matheson, you’re a Dad! I’m not certain what it was I actually said, but I remember thinking, Doc Matheson, you’re a man with a medical degree and thirty years of OB practice, and, Doc, my two-minute-old daughter played you into sending me home. My wife’s gonna kill me for not being there…thanks a bunch!
Later, that morning of May 7, 1971, I saw that little face
for the first time, and the reality that my world had changed began to take
hold. A few minutes later I beheld the
face of Elizabeth, one who had done battle with labor, and
who knew I had been asleep while she gave birth, and I knew that my world had really
changed!
Milestones are simply markers along a journey. Fifty years sounds like a long time; and it is, but I tend more and more to look at it as a treasure-trove of memories of the wonder-in-reverence of God’s marvelous plan and love for us.
Jen has had a life of joys, disappointments, victories and love. She is an artist, nutritionist, accomplished musician, master gardener, wife, mother of 3, grandmother, homemaker, and has even worn a hard hat “pulling wires” when Ken (her husband of more than 25 years) needed help on a job.
Jen is strong, beautiful, and a bubbling presence, filled
with love, compassion, and a willingness to help. But these words are not just a resume’ –
rather a commentary on what God has been able to create in a heart that has
been opened to His love and gifts. Above all the accomplishments, joys, and
sorrows, stands one governing force of our first-born – her love for Christ,
and Biblical wisdom gleaned from many hours of studying God’s Word, along with
putting that Word into action in her daily life. We love our Jen, and her family, along with
our other children and theirs. Family is
God’s way of telling us just how important we are to Him. And Jen, your part of that message stands
strong! Happy Birthday, sweetheart!
For You Today
You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!
[1] Title Image: Pixabay.com Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation©
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