Being Thankful!

Being thankful is very hard for most people, but it can be easy learned when you are overcoming obstacles that others can not seem to overcome. I am very thankful for each day that I am awaken by the sun, I am very thankful for each sound that I hear, I am very thankful for the soft hugs from my wife, but what I am most thankful for, is the very fact that God chose me to be the man that I am today.

Like I expressed in my last post, I wasn't born with a silver or gold spoon in my mouth, but the opportunities that God has given me has more wisdom then I could ever imagine. Just the other day, I was sitting back relaxing, reading some of the blogs here, and I recieved a phone call from my mom. Usually when my mom call, we hold Bible Study, and prayer over the phone, but this wasn't one of those calls, but a call I will never forget. For the call was to explain to me that my niece has decided that she can not take care of her two children. To hear how a person can just give up hurts me deeply, for even when those times I thought no one in this world care enough about me, I had enough strength to care for me myself, and that part of me help me strive to seek God in the end. But like I said the phone call was a very disrupt one, and after speaking about it and expressing my concern, I didn't really didn't know what my next move would be.

So I went into prayer, and as I was in prayer, my wife came home, and this is funny, but God has a cell phone too, because my wife recieved the message that something wasn't right while she was driving home from class. And before I open my mouth, she just looked at me, and said Yes. Now the funny thing about this, I didn't explain what was taken place or the situation at hand. Her smile, was a confirmation form the Lord for she just stated, that where ever God is leading you to do, I am willing to follow. So as I explained the situation, we both agreed to take upon the responsibities of raising a new born girl.

Now mind you all my children are grown, they are at the age of 20 to 24, and I haven't raise a child in along time, but we both felt that with the power, love and faith within the Lord, all things is possible. So we drove a 5 hour drive to Riverdale Illinois. Now mind you; also the only thing I was told was that my niece felt the need to allow her children to live with someone else because she couldn't take care of them, and she was at her last rope as she proclaimed. But when I got there, the story became more unreasonable, and I tell you it hurt's to see these young women give up and find themselves in a relationship that is full of pain and confusion, but it is more hurtful to find out that they are in a substance abuse relationship. She just couldn't take care of the babies, because her and the boyfriend are addicted to drugs, living from place to place, feeding the babies what ever she could.

Now listen, as a child how could you see love in this? How can you feel safe, stable through the days of mishap and misunderstanding? You can't, but as a child you don't have chose in the matter right?

So now, my mother who is now 78 years old is now a parent all over again raising the 1 year old baby girl, and me & my wife are now parents raising the 6 month old baby girl. But God always have a plan, before I left with my new responisiblity, I prayed to the father, that this chance I have granted my niece, she would recieve help for her addiction and become a better person so she can be a better mother to her children. I am praying that she just don't allow her life to become unreachable, and allow the Lord become her answer to it all. I tell you, my friend when you truly give it to the Lord, he shall deliver.

I am afraid of being a parent again, so fast without warning? No, for I see it as a blessing from the Lord, to raise another child, and to give this child the chance to know God on a personal level, and to know the value of family love. I do not hate, nor am I mad at my niece, I am concern, but she must now decide to get her life in order, she must make the decision to use this opportunity to work on her addiction, and overcome it. And as she move forward in life, I can only continue to pray for her, and try to reach out to her. But my main objective now is to be the parent of a new blessing, God has bestowed upon me.

So now will I be able to share with you the remarkable things God is and will do in my life, I will be able to share with you the growth of a new spirit in the Lord.
God bless You all.........
The Rev.