YESTERDAY was Father’s Day. I was three days beyond surgery, but I still felt looped from anesthesia and surgical trauma; I began to discover how awkward life with the use of only one arm really is. I’ll have two after six months and the “joys” of PT. Sigh.
On the upside, I was excited to host my daughters, a son-in-law, and all but one grandchild in my house and pool for the day. I’m always in my element when the kids are around!
We feasted on delicious food and laughed a lot, as always when we’re together. I watched as the sweet grandchildren acted out their adorable selves, each in their own special way. And I marveled at how beautiful, bright, and, well, perfect they were.
There, I’ve said it.
I sat in the shade of an umbrella by the splashing waters, two fans blowing hot air over me, feeling sorry for myself that I couldn’t join the silliness in the pool when my wife handed me a crown for my head. I had to laugh. Why not?
After a long day of serious UV exposure, games, and amazing desserts, half the partygoers packed up and headed home. Later into the night, I awoke from a sweet dream about the day—something about a crown and parents and children.
I rose from my temporary bed—an adjustable reclining chair—and headed toward the computer and Bible Gateway. Unsurprisingly, it took me to Proverbs 17.6, which reads, “Grandchildren are the crown of grandparents, and parents are the glory of their children.”
The meaning of this passage seemed so simple, but I never imagined Solomon and his buddies to be simple. We know that scriptures are “God-breathed” and “living and active.”
As I read it over and over in several versions of the Bible, there was little variation, but at one point, the words “crown” and “glory” spoke to me. They were chosen by a king who would have been knowledgeable about the nuances of those words. Fast-forwarding through the scriptures, we learn this is what the overcomers receive from the King of Kings in the end.
I’m nowhere near Solomon’s brilliance, so I won’t be able to say as much as he did in just a line or two. But through what he wrote (and the way he said it), even I can see that there is an order to the way things happen and a wonderful reward for teaching children about their creator, living a life that verifies our belief, and giving one’s best effort to teach their children the way they should go.
Today, I feel the glow as I celebrate my crown containing five of the most dazzling jewels God ever created. Happy Father’s Day!
Copyright 2024 Gary Landerfelt MyPericope.com
Comments