The extra paint…

If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him? – Luke 11:13 HCSB

A friend of mine shared this post of his front yard yesterday. One of his girls is a soccer enthusiast and I see him sharing often of her games, her goals, and this: her front yard of their home he has converted to a cool practice field.

I know we, as fathers, wish the world for our children and if you are anything like me, feel that often we fall short of giving them everything we want for them. Additionally, we over-think the things we should be giving them, blessing them with, or teaching them. Yesterday for our home was filled with these thoughts of my own as we enjoyed a lazy day, inside on the couches watching movies, as a brisket smoked out on my new grill.

As we ate dinner, the thoughts of what more i can do for my children; not only the ones still in our home, but also the 3 that have moved out, grown up, and are now ‘adulting’ on their own. So many wishes and wants for them and so many let downs can overwhelm our hearts and minds with shame and disappointment.

Yet we do not read of any of this negativity in the verse above. Only MORE: More blessings coming, more knowledge of what we truly NEED, More of the FATHER giving us the HOLY SPIRIT, more of Jesus Christ mindset as to how we should live and love, and last on this earth.

My friend’s make shift soccer field is no different. He used time and paint and creativity to make this yard something his daughter will remember for years. It took some extra paint to get the lines down replicating her so many games yet he did this happily! It was NOT a burden for him.

Our Father’s blessing unto us are no different. He produces things for us out of HIS GREATNESS not out of our needs. He is handing down from heaven HIS heart of wonder and grace not from our deserving but from HIS WANT for us to seek Him and live with Him and COME to HIM. God is using some extra paint for our front yard and we should be enjoying that playground FAR MORE than worrying about the game, or the chores, or the duties, or the things. —- I have to work on this thinking on my own. I have to know that no matter what we have or see or do or teach…. just BEING HERE as a dad is a great gift! I pray that my children will someday know of the love that I have failed to show but above that I pray they know THE FATHER that gives them eternity over me! He has so much to give!