Stewardship

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Psalm 127:3 (good old KJV) Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is HIS reward.

I woke early Tuesday morning to that scripture. “I know this, Lord. You already taught me that lesson when Daniel was so sick. Is there something I’m missing? What are You trying to tell me?” I went back to bed.

Later that morning, I took Joel, my grandson, to see his Mommy and newborn baby sister, Rylie, in the hospital. Upon walking into their room, I found Rylie to have an IV in her forehead. The doctors said she picked up the group B strep germ during delivery. My daughter delivered so quickly that they didn’t have time to give her the usual antibiotics to prevent those things from happening.

I was much too close to the situation. I whispered in her tiny ear, “Jesus is taking good care of you, little one.” And I knew in my heart that He is faithful to do so. I asked my daughter if she was forced to let someone else raise her children for her, wouldn’t she want them to raise them exactly the way she would. She said, “Of course!” “Yes, and you’d want them to love them and nurture them. And that’s the way God wants us to take care of His babies too. See, they ARE His babies, not ours. They’re on loan to us. We’re responsible for teaching them, for loving them, for raising them up by His standards and according to His statutes. But, Tif, they are still HIS. Trust HIM to take care of Rylie.”

I left her there... in God’s hands. And I didn’t worry for her anymore. God was right on time, graciously letting me know that He’s still in control. I wrote a poem for Rylie. By the way, thank you for your prayers. You are all a wonderful group to write/serve with. Special thanks to Lisa Walker. Nevertheless, I expected God to come through with amazing results, and that’s exactly what He did!

As it turns out, Rylie did pick up group B strep germ from her mother’s skin on her way into this world. When they took her blood, they swabbed her skin with alcohol and stuck her. But they were unsuccessful. So, they repeated sticking her, only they failed to re-swab her. In doing so, they contaminated the needle with strep germ picked up from her skin. Therefore, the test results for her blood were positive for strep. They retested her today, to check the progress of the antibiotics, and to their amazement, her blood is 100% strep free. As a matter of fact, she is 100% healthy. Her blood is perfect, besides being bacteria free. God’s just good that way!

But let me go back to that question: I know this, Lord. You already taught me that lesson when Daniel was so sick. Is there something I’m missing? What are You trying to tell me?

There are many revelations all to be found in the same scripture as God opens our understanding to them. As my next few articles are sure to reflect, I am learning something from Psalm 127:3 that has absolutely nothing to do with my children or my grandchildren. It has everything to do with unconditional, unmerited, honest love for the body of Christ. In reading ‘My Utmost for His Highest,’ I have found a teaching there on disillusionment that struck home base... big time. His two greatest commands, those two that supercede all others, to love the Lord and your neighbor (okay, so that’s a quick abbreviation) also have many revelations.

WE are those children. WE are an heritage to the LORD. WE are HIS reward. And it is up to us to take care of, to nurture, to feed with the Word of truth, to rebuke, exhort, discipline, to LOVE one another as Christ so loved the church. We are to take care of one another just as we take care of our own children. We are as responsible for one another as we are for our children. If you have trouble with that, remember what Christ said...

We ask, “When were you hungry and I didn’t feed you? When were you naked and I didn’t clothe you?” But we aren’t just responsible for feeding and clothing one another, church. We are responsible for guiding one another into the truths of His Word and for honestly, sincerely, unconditionally, mercifully loving one another despite our shortcomings. You don’t stop loving one of your children because you caught them red-handed with cookies crumbs still on their lips. If you haven’t had the opportunity to be a blessing lately, pray about it. God will present you with the opportunity. What will you do with it? I pray God turn my heart into a love-filled mercy machine! :)

God bless you all. Thank you again for your kind prayers for Rylie. God is truly faithful.

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