Lots of birthdays in April and May!

In Genesis 1, we know that God created the heavens and the earth, and it was good. We can see the handy work of the Lord---the intricacy of design from snowflakes to zebras; an iris to a mimosa tree, the star light at night to a rainbow; the human body and a new born baby. All of this speaks to the magnificence of our transcendent, creator God.

Yet, at the end of Genesis, we read of the pinnacle of God's creation--the creation and design of the family. Even as God provided for the pleasure and physical needs of man by creating food and color and a lovely, safe environment, he planned for the emotional and psychological needs of man. He gave man and woman each other so that they could become companions and experience intimacy, the sharing of life and the sharing of the work, purpose and vision of life. But right off the bat, in the first blessing of scripture, we read that God provided children as a perfect idea before the fall. "Be fruitful and multiply."

Family was thought up by God to give all people a place to belong. "You are my family. We will be connected to heritage, values, calling purpose together for all eternity."

The family and home was to be a haven of life--a place where celebration would take place; a port in the midst of the storms of life where one could come for peace, strength, help and security; a place of comfort amidst the demands and stresses of life---the rhythm of eating together, playing together, working together, and loving together was to be a circle of God's presence as seen through those made in His image to extend His love on the earth.

A mother and father were to be the inspirational leaders, providers, teachers, counselors, cheerleaders, spiritual guides, and friends to usher their children into life with emotional, physical and spiritual health.

All and more was intrinsic in the first design so that human beings would have a place to be cared for, accepted and inspired to lead a life befitting of a creature magnificently made in God's image.

It is no wonder that Satan has sought to break up the family. If a person is isolated from all support and love and accountability that God intended to be his strength and foundation through his family, then he will be an easy target of false security and false values.

And then, of course, culture will have no strength, because individual human beings will have no soul--there will be no development in the life of a child to prepare him for a future--loneliness where love, companionship and belonging were meant to be; self-absorption and self-gratification where sacrifice and serving one another were to be the glue to real relationships;

a longing for meaning and a searching for it in all the wrong places where anything less than building the kingdom of God is offered.

Destruction and vulnerability will flourish where family and children are not valued. A lone human being will be subject to any philosophy, any whim culture has to throw his way, because of the vacuum in his life that was intended by God to be filled through family.

I know that so many of you have come from broken families and are still in the process of figuring out life--but the rebuilding of a family and heritage, love and stability and security of a committed unit all committed to the best of each one and devoted to God's purposes, is where health and healing and life and love will be found. God is a redeemer. He will put all sorts of families back together again through the power of His spirit and the love He has to give to all who begin to build again towards the direction of the original design.

A family, a home, a heritage is all worth fighting for--it is God's design, it is His way, the way of his best blessing--even in a fallen world--worth the cost for a future that is secure. Saturday ponderings.