for those that know me.... really know me .... it's pretty widely known that I am a rather sentimental guy. tears come pretty easy. driving mrs. daisy = tears. field of dreams = tears. even the ending of shawshank redemption = tears.
retirement gatherings and goodbyes at work are rough. so are weddings. i will be a sobbing mess at our daughters' weddings. guaranteed odds folks. anyone wanna bet me?
today at church, i cried. not once, but twice.
(personal opinion here.... if you are attending a church where you periodically don't hear a Biblically accurate message that just really gives you a gut-check and hits you hard emotionally, then you maybe aren't in a church that's challenging your growth and developing you into something better than you currently are.)
the text was Genesis 48, where Jacob/Israel blesses the 2 sons of his son Joseph.
pastor used a couple examples to illustrate the importance of adults/parents praying blessing into the lives of children. one was his own dad praying over him just a few months ago. the other took place right before us on stage as pastor prayed over a youngster. one comment that hit me very hard dealt with how we (the congregation) would likely not take long to forget what we just saw, but how for the young guy, this would likely be a moment he'd remember for the remainder of his life.
how many interactions do you have with kids each day? if you are a parent, like me, 1000's. if you are a teacher, librarian, pediatric nurse or daycare worker, 1000's.
what do you do with those interactions?
kids need adults. they need affirming and encouraging comments from those adults. they need to hear that we believe in them and believe that God's got a great future planned for them.
the audio/video of the sermon will be online at firstdecatur.org later this week. if you have kids, or grandkids, or have any type of interaction with any kids, i encourage you to listen.
all kids need love, be sure to show them some.....
MH