The Matthew 6:33 Child

   When he was born, our family was complete. He's the baby. All six feet four inches and two hundred and then some pounds of him. I looked at him across from me at the table this morning and marveled that this child of mine is now officially a quarter of a century old. That's no baby. We are talking about a man. And not just any man. A good man. A strong and capable man with a very good head on his shoulders. The younger cousins and nieces and nephews know him as Uncle Bear or just Bear. Some folks think that's because his nickname has, at times, been a variation of kit-a-bear. However, the truth is that these little ones intuitively understand one of the precious strengths of this son of ours. There's a very tender and sensitive heart that beats inside his chest. In reality, he's just a big teddy bear.
   I prayed for this son of mine for a long time before he was born. He was literally God's gift to me. We thought that our family was complete when The Daughter was born, but I harbored the secret hope for another child. The Lord had given me a scripture to pray when I was carrying each of my children, but when The Daughter was born, I immediately felt that the scripture I had prayed during my pregnancy was not to be hers. It became quickly apparent that her "life" scripture was altogether different. So I tucked that other scripture into a special corner of my heart. It was waiting in the wings as I secretly waited for the child that would have that particular scripture as his or her "life" verse.
   A year passed. And then another. And another. The Husband was convinced that two sons and a daughter made a wonderful family. And of course they did. But the tender hope would not die. It was tucked away in this mother's heart. Hidden there. Like a tiny seed. When to my surprise I found that this one last child was on his way to our family, I felt the joy explode in my heart. That very day I spoke the scripture out loud over my growing belly and every single day that I carried him. When he was born, it was patently obvious that he was the Matthew 6:33 child. This son was a promise that had been whispered to a mother's heart. He was the last of our children. And he made our family complete. This is his verse.
   Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.
   

Happy Birthday, precious son of ours!