159. Wala ka sa Lolo ko. God has allowed him to see his children's children.

21 May 2021
“God has allowed me to see your children too.” Genesis 48:11

Genesis 48
9 “They are the sons God has given me here,” Joseph said to his father.
Then Israel said, “Bring them to me so I may bless them.”
10 Now Israel’s eyes were failing because of old age, and he could hardly see. So Joseph brought his sons close to him, and his father kissed them and embraced them.


Jacob had accepted the story thirteen years earlier that Joseph, his favorite son, had been devoured by a ferocious animal and torn to pieces. Genesis 37:32-33.

Genesis 42
36 Their father Jacob said to them, “You have deprived me of my children. Joseph is no more and Simeon is no more, and now you want to take Benjamin. Everything is against me!”
38 But Jacob said, “My son will not go down there with you; his brother is dead and he is the only one left. If harm comes to him on the journey you are taking, you will bring my gray head down to the grave in sorrow.”

That moment when he had come to Egypt and came to know that Joseph was alive all along, he must have realized the special favor of God all his life, and now even as additional favor seeing Joseph's sons.

Genesis 48
11 Israel said to Joseph, “I never expected to see your face again, and now God has allowed me to see your children too.”

Proverbs 17
6 Children’s children are a crown to the aged,
    and parents are the pride of their children.


I would say the joy of parents regarding their children happens in stages. For most men, while at the early stage of their professional career, will find themselves baby-talk to their newborn.

Then maybe next stage is finding himself accompanying his first child on the child's first day in preschool or grade school.

As he progresses in his career, finding time for his first child and following children becomes a challenge. It may continue to happen until the children are in college. There is the pressure to earn more, some men even being forced to be an OFW.

One peak of parenthood is when children go up the stage at college graduation day, a sigh of relief of being done with school expenses after so many years.

Now where does the picture of looking forward to having grandchildren come in? Working for retirement may take precedence.


At that point, the day my children would graduate from college was far off my mind, I was wallowing in my setback in professional career. 

So my thoughts of them getting married and me having grandchildren simply did not cross my mind during those days, about 17 years ago.

Looking back, I am forever grateful to God for the special favor of seeing my children graduate college, and now even an additional favor of seeing my children's children, some years after seeing my children get married.
I cannot ask for anything more. Though God made me see troubles, many and bitter, He restored my life again; from the depths of the earth He brought me up (Psalm 71:20).

"Lord, God of Jacob, You shall allow me to see all my children's children too in my lifetime, for You have restored me. "LORD my God, I called to you for help, and you healed me. You, LORD, brought me up from the realm of the dead; you spared me from going down to the pit" (Psalm 30:2-3). I sing praise to the Lord, "For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning" (Psalm 30:5); this is my prayer in Jesus' name. Amen.

19 December 2017"

My children's children will one day say, wala ka sa Lolo ko; God has allowed him to see his children's children. Amen.

May you be blessed with God's Word.

Maraming salamat.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

102. Wala ka sa Lolo ko. The Lord has given him a crown.

Image
25 January 2021 1 Timothy 5 4 But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God. Let me share my reflection 7 October 2017 which I have updated. "Grandchildren. Children’s children are a crown to the aged. (Proverbs 17:6) 1 Timothy 5 9 No widow may be put on the list of widows unless she is over sixty, has been faithful to her husband,  10 and is well known for her good deeds, such as bringing up children, showing hospitality, washing the feet of the Lord’s people, helping those in trouble and devoting herself to all kinds of good deeds. Let me make the connection between grandchildren and a widow. Marlou and I recently spent a weekend in Lipa to visit my mother-in-law. We went to Lipa New Hope Church for the Sunday worship service. From the back, I can see the petite figure of "Nanay" (...
Read more

119. Wala ka sa Lolo ko. For him, there is no righteousness apart from God in Jesus Christ.

Image
28 February 2021 Photo by Shaun F from Pexels Your righteousness, God, reaches to the heavens, you who have done great things. Who is like you, God? (Psalm 71:19) 2 Peter 1 1 Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours: 2 Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. The Apostle Peter. "Do you think that we are too tough on Peter for denying Christ? Note that after the Resurrection, Jesus told the women: "Go tell my disciples and Peter." Why "and Peter"? I see myself in Peter. I also see my neighbors and friends in him. Perhaps you see yourself in Peter as well. There's something of this man in us all, and the way God used him with his faults and failures gives me hope, for the God who changed his life is still in the business of changing people. As I think of Mr. Peter, I think o...
Read more

226. We will be blessed: The Lord washed our feet, we should wash one another's feet.

Image
6 December 2021 You will be blessed. Deuteronomy 28 3 You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country. 2 All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God. John 13 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. Maundy Thursday. " Maundy (from Old French mandé, from Latin mandatum meaning "command"), or the Washing of the Feet, or Pedelavium, is a religious rite observed by various Christian denominations. This is also seen as referring to the commandment of Christ that believers should emulate his loving humility in the washing of the feet (John 13:14–17). The term mandatum (mandé, maundy), therefore, was applied to the rite of foot-washing on the Thursday preceding Easter Sunday, called Maundy Thursday. " From Wikipedia " As Jesus was t...
Read more