Monday, May 17, 2004

Devotional: Faith Circle May 2004

Maury graduates from preschool this Thursday. I find it hard to believe that he is old enough to have reached this milestone. But, that really is just an emotional response to this, not a logical one, because when I look at all that little boy can do and all he knows, it really should be no surprise that he is ready for kindergarten. It is truly amazing is how much learning he has packed into his short life. He came to us a clean slate, a perfect newborn boy with the world before him. We taught him what we could about the basics in life: how to eat, walk, talk. The preschool taught him so much more: colors, shapes, numbers, letters, words. He has absorbed everything put before him and now he is ready to go on to the next level.

Being a parent makes me understand a little better how God must feel about each and every one of us. He has not only known us since the day we were born, but before we were born. He placed us lovingly in the homes we grew up in. He left us to others to care for and raise, but He is still very much our Father, our parent. I am sure that He, like most parents, is amused by some of the things we do, not so amused by others. I am sure He wonders where we learned some of the things that we have learned…both good and bad. I am sure that He has times of great pride in His children and also times of great despair.

Watching Maury grow and learn reminds me of what I feel our purpose on earth is: to grow and learn and, in the process, grow closer to our Father by doing His work. In that sense, I wonder if He grants spiritual promotion in the same way that our schools grant scholarly promotion? If we seem to “get” most of what is being taught on a certain level, do we then get promoted to the next level? I don’t know about you, but sometimes I feel like I was demoted when I am facing yet another lesson in the same curriculum of life, one that is so similar to one I had before but clearly did not learn from. Still, there are moments of glorious understanding, moments when I feel ready to tackle new spiritual challenges, ready to move up to the next level.

So, as Maury walks down the aisle at graduation this Thursday, I will be thinking about what I need to do to move on to the next level in my walk with God.

Let us pray: Dear Heavenly Father, please be with us all as we attend your school here on earth. Show us all that however many days we have left here, you have valuable things to teach us if we will just take the time to sit at your feet and listen. Grant us your Spirit as a guide that we may not miss a single lesson set before us. These things we pray in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ Our Lord, Amen.