By Pastor Mark Woodward
Maple Leaf Parish Churches: Spring Valley: Faith, Cherry Grove, Fountain, Preston
(and Lenora)
A BRAND NEW GRANDDAUGHTER!!!
Recently, my wife and I became grandparents again! We now have five awesome grandchildren. As of this writing the youngest one is only about a month old. She is a precious, sweet little girl. I love holding her in my arms and feeling her fingers as they grasp at my thumb. Right now she sleeps a lot as she gets more and more used to her new environment. She has little, tiny feet and little, tiny fingers and she is such a bundle of sweetness.
I suppose I am sounding a lot like a grandpa, and that is to be expected because I am one! I am thankful for the five grandchildren who call me grandpa. I am thankful for their laughter, their smiles, their emotions and all of the things that go together to make them who they are. I am thankful for the blessings we share together.
God gives to us the blessings of life and the wonder of his love revealed in so many ways. I think it is important to stop and give thanks for the blessings before us. Life is such a precious gift and it is enriched by the beautiful presence of God’s love in Jesus Christ.
One day when I was holding this brand new baby in my arms, I got to thinking about the old hymn “Jesus Loves Me” and how it inspires me so much…
“Jesus love me! This I know, for the Bible tells me. Little ones to him belong; they are weak, but he is strong. Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes Jesus loves me! Yes! Jesus loves me, the Bible tells me so. Jesus loves me! This I know, as he loved so long ago, taking children on his knee, saying let them come to me.” (verses 1 and 2 by Anna B. Warner, 1860 and David Rutherford McGuire, music by William B. Bradbury, 1862, p. 191 of the 1989 United Methodist Hymnal)
I regularly pray for children…for boys and girls to know and experience the presence of God’s love in Jesus Christ. As we come to this new school year, let’s keep our children and youth in our prayers and may we give thanks for the blessings of life and love each and every day all to the glory of God. Let us live our lives with compassion, kindness, honesty, virtue and love as we follow the example and teching of Jesus… And in all things let us give thanks for the blessings of life and love… I am thankful for the grandchildren who are a blessing in my family and I look forward to watching them grow and to share with them along the way the joy of God’s love.
I hope you have a beautiful day today and please know how much you are loved! “Jesus loves me! This I know, for the Bible tells me so.”