Pride & Joy
Since Grayson, our oldest, was a little baby, I have had a particular ritual that has happened just about every day. I have continued the ritual with our two daughters Kylah and Olive.
The ritual is this: before they go to bed for the night, or as they are getting out of the van before they are dropping them off at school in the morning, or just about any time that I am going one way and they are going another, I ask them this question:
“Do you know what you are?”
The answer that each of them have come to learn over the years is that they are my “pride and joy.” The hope is that they never forget they are the best thing that God has allowed me to help create (shout out to Lisa), and what I am most proud of; they are what brings me the greatest joy.
“Do you know what you are?”
“Pride and joy, dad!” sometimes they answer annoyingly, which is not surprising, as it has become an exchange that has occurred with each of them hundreds and hundreds of times.
I pray that as they get older and eventually fly the nest, that somewhere deep within them, in the midst of their failures and successes, that they always remember that they are my pride and joy.
The three of them are what I am the most proud of and what brings me the greatest joy.
In case you have yet to consider it, this is exactly how God feels about each one of you, how He sees all of us. Each of us is what He is the most proud of and what brings Him the greatest joy.
“Do you know what you are?” This question is always there for us to consider, through our great and amazing Bible stories, through our worship, through God’s eternity-long commitment to each of us.
“Your pride and joy.” It is a great way for us to answer Him, because it is true.
You are the most important thing to God and bring Him the greatest joy. Jesus has proven that much through the cross, and through His sacrifice.
Your mistakes, both the whoppers and the tiny dingers, none of them can change how much God loves you. Like my kids, you may get annoyed with hearing it or you may even doubt that it is true, yet His love for you is stronger than your annoyance, stronger than your doubt.
If you need more help answering the question about what you are to God, help with knowing how much you mean to Him, come hang out with us this Sunday and we will remind you. As a bonus, this Sunday we not only have Sunday worship, but also some extra goodness and fun through our July 4th concert and picnic later that afternoon.
We cannot wait to see you!
Korey+