Shortly after my oldest son Noah was born, my wife and I set out to write our adventures with our new little guy in a blog that we titled “The Nelson Newsstand”. Needless to say we didn’t get very far in our attempt having only written 2 post, lol. But they are worth sharing. This was written January 10, 2013
NOT SOME OF ME, BUT ALL OF ME!
I have been meditating on how much I love my family and now that Noah is here people in my workplace ask me how he is doing. I am always delighted to hear such questions because I do love talking about my family. In a recent conversation that I was having with a coworker, I was able to express what love that I have for my family.
One coworker said that he really didn’t want to have kids so we began to discuss the joys of what family brings. And this led me to begin to communicate what God is really doing on the inside of me. I never knew that it was possible for me to love anyone as much as I love my wife and son. I don’t mean a fluffy, ooey gooey kind of love but something that was made up of sacrifice, perseverance, and endurance.
When I look at my son I see this helpless little guy who, without my wife or my intervention, would starve and lay in his own filth. He is totally and absolutely dependent upon us to care for him in all respects. He has nothing to offer us except his own inabilities. And when I look at him I realized that he doesn’t need just a part of me, but he needs all of me. If I were to withhold any of myself for myself that would be to his demise. If I sought after my own desires ahead of his very base needs then he would be in a world of misery.
But I have the joy that many others do not take advantage of. I get to lay my life down, give up my desires, and love him. I know that when I live for myself I truly am unhappy, but what freedom that has been granted to me from God above to love as He loves. I am taken back to the Gospel of my Lord many times over when looking at my son and considering my own helplessness before God.
If Christ were to have held back any of Himself when He came to this earth to save filthy and starving sinners, there would be no hope for humanity. But He gave up all of Himself in order to save a wretched race that gives no honor that is due Him.
And since He gave up all He has given me an example to follow, especially in loving my family. Christ says in John 13:34 that we are to love each other as He has loved us and Paul makes that call more intimate when he tells husbands to love their wives as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her (Eph 5:25). The way He loved the world was by giving up His life considering it of no account in order to save sinners like you and me. And not only that, there is joy in the giving up of one’s own life.
For the joy set before Christ, He endured the cross (Heb 12:2). The freedom to love comes only after the sacrifice (figuratively speaking) of one’s self. And true joy only comes when one seeks to imitate the God of the universe in the loving of His Son through the loving of others.
Since God doesn’t want just a part of me but all of me, my family doesn’t need just some of me, but they need all of me. I love them.