Who do you say that I am?

Matthew 16: ¹³ When Jesus came to the area of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his followers, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”

¹⁴ They answered, “Some say you are John the Baptist. Others say you are Elijah, and still others say you are Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

¹⁵ Then Jesus asked them, “And who do you say I am?”

¹⁶ Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

         A friend whose wife will be having her 50th birthday celebration this week contacted me.  He has invited her friends to share why Kim has been a blessing to each of us.  I thought my comments were worthy of noting in Parakaleo this week.

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         Unbeknownst to Kim she has made a huge impact on me.  When we met almost 25 years ago, you two were a few years further into this “marriage thing.”  In fact God had already blessed you with little “Lukie.”

         Greg and I were in awe of the way you loved each other and loved little Luke.  We were thrilled Kim became pregnant with your second child and we with our first.

         During that time, our hearts broke as you were deployed to Operation Desert Storm.  We felt sadness for your family and pain for what we prayed would only be a temporary separation.  It was our desire to “help” you while you were serving us.

         Kim was an amazing young trooper.  As she continued to work on her higher education, hold down her position as a single mom and patiently await the arrival of your second child she reflected Christ is such a way that He was getting the glory.

         I remember specifically asking her if she felt like she was carrying too big of a burden.  In humble confidence she said something to the effect that she had understood what was being asked of her as you two pursued a career in the military and she was only doing her part. She said it was a daily trust that God was watching you as you served our country.

         We watched as Kim responded to every day circumstances with peace and a positive attitude.  Kim is hands down one of the most kind people I know.

         As our first was born I became acutely aware of how hard Kim was working as a single parent.  Then your baby Rebecca was born, with the help of another deployed husbands wife in the delivery room.  We loved having Lukie in the home with us while waiting to see Kim and Baby Becca.

         Kim was a beautiful picture of peace as she single parented the children until your return.  She never seemed ruffled or anxious or scared.  I am grateful I have these memories of your wife.

         Although we are not in contact regularly the legacy of what you lived continues to bless and guide my path as both a wife and a mom!

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         Moms, I wonder what people would say of us?  No we shouldn’t be looking for the approval of man based on our actions and responses to our circumstances.   One day we may be given a surprise party and letters may be written.  What will they say of you?

Brush Stroked Memorials

Oh summer days…we have been waiting for….sleeping in, staying up late, lazy days at the beach.  Often summer expectations include; drinking lemonade; playing in the sprinklers; catching fire flies and eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

One of my favorite childhood memories is “painting” my Grandfather’s picket fence.  

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When my cousin, brother and I would spend lengthy summer days at my grandparent’s home in our humid Virginia town, my precious grandfather would fill empty paint cans with water.  He gave us paintbrushes and sent us out to their fence to “paint.”  What an ingenious idea! No mess and he ended up with a clean fence.

Over and over God’s people remember God’s provision and God’s protection and God’s power.  In doing so, they remind themselves and their families of the One they can always trust.

I doubt my grandfather was considering he would be leaving a memory of “painting the fence.”  However, Christ spent His entire earthly ministry preforming miracles and telling stories that are never to be forgotten.

We never know what may become a special memory for our children. We should encourage them to remember what God has done for them.

Challenge:  Begin to store special memories of Christ’s faithfulness in a “treasure box” with your children.  It can be as basic as a shoe box to as elaborate as a shadow box.  You can place a piece of the “memory” in the box and tell their story over and over.  This can become your child’s memory/memorial box.  Over the days, weeks and years, your child will be able to pull from their memorial box a piece of the memory and repeat over and over the amazing experiences and memories they have of their faithful Heavenly Father.