Someone made this beautiful video “for my babies,” with the Kingston Trio singing Turn Around.
There’s something poignant about still photographs. They go straight to the heart.
I’ve never had children, so I haven’t experienced the bittersweetness of raising them; but I was a child, so I can look at it through the other end of the telescope. Almost everyone who was part of my childhood is now dead. Even my two earliest friends. And almost all the places I knew as a child have been torn away and paved over. One becomes a stranger in the earth.
God’s word, God’s love, God’s power, God’s promises–the Lord alone is our defense. He alone can carry the burden with ease. Let this passage from the Bible, only one of many, suffice for the moment.
“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
“For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven… that mortality might be swallowed up of life.
“Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit.” –2 Corinthians 4:17-18, 5:1-5
Wrought us for the selfsame thing–God created us to have eternal life! That’s why we’re here.
And that whole business of goodness and sweetness passing away–that will have no place in His Kingdom.
Beautifully expressed, Lee. We were made to have an eternal life, unbounded in opportunity, evergreen, always in a state of renewal. I made a conscious choice not to have children in this fallen world, and I’m glad that I did.
they might grow up to be Obama voters, and then where are you?
This is such a beautiful post, Lee. Thank you. We have the most wonderful promises ahead.
My perspective is from both sides – as a child and as a parent and grandparent (and even a great grandparent). I can say that the world I grew up in is as you’ve said – torn down and paved over. I have great concern for the children of today. Even my children who are approaching 50 and have seen many of the things I’ve seen, have some rather unsettling ideas about this world, although not to any extreme. Thank You, Father, for that! But the generations following are going to have such a difficult time. I continually pray about these things.
Here’s a rather appropriate, although not all-encompassing, example of today’s youth as compared to our nearly extinct generation:
https://fellowshipoftheminds.com/2018/02/18/the-soy-boy-effect-us-army-general-says-new-recruits-not-strong-enough-to-throw-grenades/
Something has to change.
A hand grenade weighs about 14 ounces (I looked it up). I’ve never thrown a grenade, but I think I could throw one the length of the YMCA gym, which is about 60 feet; and I’m an old man.
Given what the previous administration has done to our armed forces, if we ever have to go to war with an enemy that’s serious, they’ll run us out of town.
I was in Jr. High & High school when the folk music scene was what was happening. I still love the music from that era. Ones I really like are “Where Have All the Flowers Gone,” and “All My Trials.”
If Eternal Life is a Person, then we have Eternal Life right now!!
John 17:3 “Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God,and Jesus Christ, whom he has sent.”
We were not created to pass into oblivion. We have God’s word on it.