Today marks the 42nd birthday of our youngest child, our only son, Andrew. So, clearly a “Happy Birthday, Andrew!” is in order. It’s difficult to believe that all our children are in a legally protected class as far as employment law is concerned. What’s more, in August of this year, Janet and I will celebrate our 50th anniversary. And several years after that, our oldest daughter will turn 50 – that’s half a century! Where did the time go?
I remember when I turned 40 and here we are with Andrew already surpassing that by two years. Of course, I’m thrilled that we are alive to watch Andrew as he progresses through life. My own Dad died when I was 25 and I am grateful that Janet and I are still around to be a part of the lives of all of our children.
As is my custom, I try to write a little about the numbers in the Bible surrounding the birthdays of family members. When Andrew turned thirty, I wrote about the beginning of work life in the Bible – the time when childhood was officially over. The priests studied until they were 30 and then worked for at least 20 years in their official capacity in the temple. It’s when real adult life began.
When Andrew turned 40, I equated it to a time of completion. It was the end of a season of his life and the beginning of another chapter. So now, what do I say about Andrew and his 42nd birthday?
Well, the first thing that comes to mind is the phrase “little children.” How I remember so fondly when Andrew and his two sisters were little children. Those were great times. Last week, I drove past the house that we bought when we moved to Indiana in 1982. Andrew was a year old…
I remember the first day of school when the girls were heading off and Andrew was starting pre-school. He, Kristin and Jill sat on the steps that were next to the sidewalk leading up to the front door. In fact, I saw the picture today, as one of the kids posted it on FaceBook. And I remember giving Andrew the bedroom on the back of the house because it would be easier for him to sleep. I wallpapered that room myself!
I even remember when Andrew was born. In those days, we didn’t know whether we were having a boy or a girl… The doctor asked us what we wanted – we so thrilled to have another child that health was the most important item on our minds. And we thought that it would be great to have a son to complete our family after two wonderful daughters. God delivered our wish!
It would be a little untruthful to say that we have never had challenges with our children. But we are proud of the people that they have become. When Janet and I made the decision to have our kids early in life, we never could have predicted or foreseen the joy we have experienced.
And it all started with the idea of “little children.” Why is that so important tonight? Well, because that phrase appears 42 times in the Bible. That’s the tie in to Andrew’s birthday today – a glimpse of the past 42 years that have helped to form him into the man that he is today. Yes, Paul, John and others mention the “little children” 42 times in the Scripture. Children were (and are) important to Jesus.
Our verse for tonight comes from the apostle Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians. He is speaking about his love for people and compares his role to that of parents loving their children. Paul tells us, in 1 Thessalonians 2:6-8, “We were not looking for praise from men, not from you or anyone else. As apostles of Christ we could have been a burden to you, but we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children. We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us.”
While Paul was addressing the believers in Thessaloniki, this verse resonates with us as we think about Andrew and our other children. We have lived life with them. We have spent years grounding them in the faith, exposing them to unconditional love and demonstrating the ways that we believe we should, as Christ followers, emulate the life of Jesus.
My encouragement this evening is that Jesus was very clear that he wanted the “little children” to come to Him. Furthermore, that the innocence of childhood was a wonderful demonstration of faith. I hope that we never lose our “wonder” as we grow older. My prayer is that those of us who have children will continue to lead, teach, pray for and encourage them in every Christian way. We are thrilled with the man that Andrew has become and look forward to the next season of his life! Happy Birthday, Andrew! May God bless you abundantly all the days of your life. Have a great day in the Lord, grace and peace…