Category Archives: God’s character

The Reveal

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It was last Memorial Day when we had our first inkling that a new baby was coming. Linnea had flown from Florida to Michigan to attend her sister Birgitta’s wedding open house. And as we ran errands together, she surprised us with her lovely secret – that another baby would be joining us in January.

Fast-forward to summer when the 26 members of our family were together in Michigan. Linnea’s pregnancy had passed its half way mark, and she and Adam had learned the baby’s gender. Much to our happiness, they wanted to share it with us all. 

We planned a Reveal Party after dinner with a special dessert: a cake with either pink or blue frosting in the middle. Only the two parents knew what was inside.

Throughout the day the 12 grandchildren, ages 10 and under, eagerly anticipated the announcement. Boy or girl? Which team?

As the hours went by, the children shared their hopes with each other… boys rooting for blue frosting, girls for pink. And when the moment came, Linnea cut a plump piece of cake and lifted it to reveal — it was pink!

The girls broke into squeals of delight, the boys stood silent, and the adults got a good chuckle over both responses. But pretty quickly the 12 kids shifted from gender-focus to cake-focus. The rest of us, though, were thankful for a glimpse of what God was doing within Linnea, excited to know a little something about who he was creating.

It was God’s idea to establish 9 months as the time it would take for him to make a baby. Of course he could do this intricate work in an instant, but he chooses to take his time. Maybe it’s similar to the way he formed the first human from clay. I wonder how long he took on that project. My guess is…. 9 months.

These days God still takes his time forming babies inside their mothers. I like to think he enjoys the long, complicated process during that time when only he holds the secrets to who he’s working on.

Fast forward to January and the birth of our May Evangeline. At the time of the Reveal Party, we were thrilled to learn one fact about her: that she would be a girl. Now the whole of her has been revealed, and we know all kinds of things–-her name, the circumstances of her birth, what she looks like, and that she’s easy-going. But just think about how much God knows about her.

He sees her life stretched out from beginning to end and knows every emotion she’ll experience, what she’ll look like as an adult, who her friends will be, what interests she’ll have, whether or not she’ll marry or become a mother, and everything else about her.

But though God sees it all, his Reveal Parties of new information will happen  only one day at a time. He has revealed one long-term fact about little May, though — that he hopes she’ll always trust him to take care of the life he’s given her.  

“It was You who created my inward parts. I was made in secret.” (Psalm 139:13,15)

Wedding Bells

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Our family has heard so many wedding bells in the last few months that if they were assembled together, we’d have a bell choir. And it would be playing a beautiful song.

From August 2017 to August 2018, there were six weddings in our family, which included one of my sister’s children, two of my brother’s, and three of mine. These happy ceremonies took place in Hawaii, Iowa, Colorado, Illinois, Maryland, and Michigan.

[Right: Nelson and Ann Sophie in Hawaii]

I believe God loves weddings. After all, marriage was his invention when he presided over the very first one with a bride named Eve and a groom named Adam. It was a destination wedding like no other and took place in the Garden of Eden.

As our family weddings took place, we knew the Lord was smiling on each couple as they married. He was also listening carefully to the spoken commitments each bride and groom made to the other on their special day.

[Left: Birgitta, Spencer, and Emerald in Iowa]

Although these six weddings occurred in beautiful destinations from coast-to-coast , the “where” was never as important as the “what.”

These days, when two young people decide to get married rather than just live together, they’re stepping up to one of life’s biggest and most significant commitments. These six couples have promised to love and stand by each other, no matter what happens — which actually follows the example God has set for them. In the Bible he shows us all how to love well.

[Right: Charlie and Larissa in Colorado]

 

The Lord’s love is never based on our performance or our loyalty to him, so he never wobbles in loving us — because that’s who he is. God is love. Throughout Scripture he demonstrates this in a variety of ways.

[Left: Karl and Cecilia in Illinois]

 

As for earthly marriage, God laid out instructions on how to get the most out of a husband-wife relationship. Because he loves marriages, he wants to help them last. That’s why he makes his divine assistance available for the bumps in the road that come to all couples.

[Right: Ben and Amy in Maryland]

My prayer for these six new partnerships is that they’ll readily reach for the Lord as needed. And if they follow the directions he gives, all six will make it to their 50th anniversaries – when we’ll once again get to hear those bells of celebration ring!

“Love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.” (1 John 4:7)

[Left: Louisa and Justin in Michigan]

Chuckling with God

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Three FriendsWhile spending several days with two good friends in Phoenix, our non-stop chatting made me forget to check-in with Southwest Airlines on the last day. Southwest passengers board in the order of check-in, so that meant I’d be last in line…. and wouldn’t get a window seat. After staying up late each night (3:00 AM on my Eastern Time body clock), I looked forward to leaning against the window for a nap.

Southwest plane

At the airport, I checked in the old-fashioned way, confirming my tail-end boarding position. Maybe it wouldn’t be a full flight, I thought, but as boarding began, we were told it was.

I sat down to wait and decided to simply ask God for a window seat. “Would you save one for me, Father?”

Once on the plane, I slowly made my way down the aisle, looking right and left for God’s gift — but every seat was taken. Then all of a sudden, half way toward the back, I spotted an empty window seat. Two college-age girls occupied the aisle and center seats, but the window was empty.

“Is that one taken?” I said, pointing.

“No, but that’s only for someone willing to open the emergency door. You don’t want to sit there.”

“Actually, I do,” I said.

“But… I don’t think you heard me.” She said. “You would have to open that big door.”

Thinking I must look weaker than I felt, I said, “I’ll chance it.”

The two girls glanced at each other but stood to let me in.

Emergency ExitAfter smiling at them, I sat down, chuckling just loud enough for God to hear. He was probably chuckling too. After buckling my belt, I studied the exit door. It looked complicated, but I knew the safety folder in my seat pocket would explain.

Just as I found the instructions, a flight attendant leaned into our row. “Ma’m.” she said. “Please look up here.” She meant me.

“Ma’m, I think you’re unaware that you’re in a seat linked to an emergency exit door.”

“Yes,” I said. “I know,” holding up the folder. “See? I’m studying how to do it.”

Emergency folder“But would you be able to?” she said. I nodded with confidence, but she looked doubtful.

“Well….” she said, pausing for effect, “I’ll need your verbal affirmation.”

“I can handle it.”

“So is that a yes?”

“Yes.”

 

She shook her head and moved on while I memorized steps 1-2-3 of door-opening technique, trying to set aside my own doubts.

Just then one of the two robust girls sitting next to me pulled out her own copy of the emergency folder…. and I knew she wasn’t planning to rely on any old lady in the event of an emergency. So I put my folder away and didn’t give it another thought.

Our flight passed without incident, and I appreciated not having to nap with my head hanging and bobbing. What I enjoyed even more than my window seat, though, was my private little chuckle with a generous heavenly Father.

“The living God… gives us richly all things to enjoy.” (1 Timothy 6:17)