Staff Message - Pastor Jonathan Meyer

I suppose it goes without saying, but I love visiting our grandchildren. Over Christmas break we spent a couple days with our daughter and her family in Minnesota. She took the opportunity to take our grandson out of daycare for a couple days so he could spend plenty of quality time with grandma and grandpa. He woke us up early in the morning with his little feet running around the floors and talking with no care in the world for volume. We played with every truck, train, and tractor he had (The 3-T’s for most little boys in the Midwest.). And what was really fun was listening to him carry on conversations with us. He’s 21 months old, so a lot of the words aren’t necessarily understandable, but he was intent to tell us everything that was on his mind. It was also interesting to listen to him repeat what we would say, as he is working on building his own vocabulary. I love it! Isn’t that a lot like how our Heavenly Father wants to have a relationship with us? The Apostle John writes, See the kind of love the Father has given us that we should be called children of God, and that is what we are! (1 John 3:1) If you want to understand better how much God loves you, then remember what he’s given you through His Son Jesus. Because of Jesus’ saving work in repairing that relationship, we have a new way of looking at God! He wants us to call him Abba Father. He cares so much about what is on our mind, he asks us to approach him whenever we want in prayer and talk about whatever we want. His ear is always listening! Like doting grandparents eating up every moment of a young grandson’s carefree life, our Heavenly Father is watching our path too. He is so concerned about each step we take, He is there beside us every inch of the way! Even more so, He has a loving Father’s concern for where those steps take us. For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to give you peace, not disaster, plans to give you hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11) I know you enjoy those precious moments spent with loved-ones. As you do, thank God for blessing you with family and friends who brighten our days and see us through life. Remember these are just pictures, though…reminders of an eternal relationship won for us by Jesus. We are children of Abba Father. He’s family forever!