Bundle of Joy

When I have a spare moment these days, one picture keeps resurfacing in my mind.  It’s a picture of the small but powerful Justice Daniel Baik, who in a moment of time forever changed my identity and the identity of everyone in my family.  A true futurist, he has extended my reach into a time yet to come that I will never personally visit.  Totally irresistible, he instantly won our total love and devotion.  Yes, on May 29, 2011 at precisely 3:29 AM, Justice Daniel changed our lives permanently.

You see Justice Daniel Baik is my first grandchild.  He made my wife, Sue, and me grandparents.  He conferred parental status on my daughter Grace and her husband, Steve, and turned my son and 2 daughters into an uncle and aunts.  He will inherit a future I can only try to imagine, and yes, it was love at first sight!

Newborn babies are truly bundles of joy.  They create a universally shared reason to celebrate, bringing family and friends together.  We eagerly search every detail of their tiny beings agreeing (or disagreeing) whom they most resemble, and try to project what they may do later.  “Just look at those shoulders.  That’s football material for sure.”  

They are mysterious puzzles of promise that progressively unfold before our eyes as the weeks and months pass.  And they continue to give us reasons to celebrate: the first smile, independent sitting, crawling, the first step and the first words.  No matter how many times we’ve seen these milestones in others before, they become fresh miracles in our new little one.

There is no way they can grasp the many moments of happiness, excitement and pride they so effortlessly provide to us.  We will continue to be enriched with celebrations of their presence and accomplishments for years to come.  This experience is expressed so well in Psalms 127:3-5a: “Children are a gift of the Lord, and the fruit of the womb is a reward.  Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth.  Blessed is the person whose quiver is full of them.”

Did you know that God feels the same way about you when you choose to become his adopted child?  He thoroughly enjoys your presence and writes your every accomplishment on the tablets of His heart.  Although you may be unaware of it, He is constantly watching with pride as you grow and develop more maturity in Christ.  No matter how large His family, God marvels over the uniqueness of each of His children.  He is completely captivated by you!

When you become His child, He celebrates you as a bundle of joy.  Luke 15:10 states: “I tell you that in heaven the angels rejoice when one sinner repents and comes to God.”  God is a loving father who wants to adopt you as His child.  Say “yes” to His love offer today, and give heaven a reason to throw a party! 

Come and join us this Sunday at 9:00 AM or 11:00 AM as we continue to discuss being loved and adopted as God’s children, part of our current “Born Identity” series.