Looking Back with Confidence for Tomorrow

A little over twenty- three years ago I held a fresh, new born baby in the palms of my hands and shed tears of joy while sitting next to my lovely wife after she gave birth to our first child. At the time I had no idea how to be a father, nor hardly what it meant. I knew, however, that I had just stepped into a realm of life that would profoundly change me forever. Frightened, excited, worried, and jubilant were all emotions that seemed to dash across my heart, sometimes all at once. I remember feeling almost identically the same when I asked Victoria to marry me on a chilly, dark December night (almost 27 years ago to be precise) holding a fresh, red rose with a diamond ring slipped through the stem, looking out over the Emerald City's (Seattle) skyline from Highland Park. I had no idea what I was getting us into, but knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that it was meant to be and have never questioned it since.

There's no possible way to completely prepare yourself for these vectors in life. God has just wired us, almost instinctively, to fluidly step into them, by faith, trusting that with His grace we'll move through them doing the very best we can. As I look over my shoulder and peer into history I see so many ignorant mistakes I made raising my children and trying to be a good husband to my wife. In the midst of all of them, I remain dumbfounded that my lovely children and beautiful wife are who they are.

Now, in the same way, I trust my Father to shepherd my first child, Austin, and his bride-to-be, Meagan, through this pilgrim's road trusting He'll provide just enough grace to them to care for one another and honor Him to the best of their God-given ability. The same ecstasy of emotions I had when Austin was born and when I committed myself to Victoria are now racing across my heart once again, only this time knowing that I cannot possibly be alone. These moments come so rarely into our lives, and it comforts me to know that the same God protecting Victoria and me is the same God who will protect Austin and Meagan, and the same God who continues to protect Annie, Barret, Poppy and Willow. Looking back gives me great hope for tomorrow. Austin and Meagan know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they were meant to be, and my prayer is that they'll also be able to look back with hope for tomorrow, recognizing that it was the God of all comfort that guided their steps through their paths of life.

These are joyous occasions. I wish they could last forever. Someday they will.

Jubilant in Jesus,

Tom (& Victoria)