Nathan--my bright blue boy
One of the blessings of having been a mom who raised my children with Biblical ideals and life ideals is that my children have grown into my best friends who also hold my ideals. I love spending time with my children and find them to be the ones who spur me on in my own walk with the Lord.
Nathan and I were talking in Texas and he said, "You know, the older I get, the more liberal I am becoming. I see such broken people all around me in LA. Soul scars, life scars, few support systems, broken family background, and I want to just show them Jesus' mercy and love and compassion because they have never felt it before. I don't care what they are doing or have been, I just want them to experience the grace I have known my whole life and to know the one who can make them whole."
"But then, I feel like I am becoming more conservative than ever. I see how important family and marriage and foundations and all of my old ideals are and I believe in them more than ever."
I think I feel that way, too. I am more grateful than ever before to know Him, His forgiveness, His love, His call on the life of my family and the wholeness we have shared. I meet so many wonderful young moms who have backgrounds and scars that plague them. I want them to know they are not judged by their works from before, but they are beautiful and redeemed. They are not their past, but they are new in Christ and their children will stand on their shoulders. There is hope for their future. Jesus and one person make a whole person. I want them to know the grace and love of a savior who gave all he had for them and for me. I want them to have hope.
But then, I see, more than ever, how grateful I am for understanding the legacy of family as God designed it--of a safe haven of love and innocence where the soul of a child can incubate to build them into whole, healthy, vibrant adults--where children can be protected and loved and validated. My heart goes out to children and youth who are looking for love in all the wrong places. I hope my family can provide safe haven for some who are so longing for a stable place to be and to belong. I want to teach more and more how to be healthy and whole as a family so more sweet children will grow up with a strong foundation of love and grace.
And so I understand anew this verse, "And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth."
Jesus, who was the embodiment of God, was the teacher of truth and the holiness of God and righteousness
But also, the one whose whole life and being embodied grace--the generous giving of Himself to those who were less than Him, so that others might benefit from his redemption and love and become whole.
Grace and truth together in one place.
For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’ Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’
I love seeing this man, Nathan, my son, living out the secrets and the mystery of the secrets of the kingdom of God, and I am honored to have him as my friend and to call him my son.
Thought you might also enjoy Nathan's blog article today. It made me smile and want to celebrate my day. Here it is.