Dear Family and Friends,

We have been in Los Angeles for almost four weeks now. Adjusting to our temporary life here wasn’t hard at all.

Adjusting to being around a young child all day and night was…a tad bit harder. Don’t get me wrong, we love our grandson. He is a joy and a blessing to us.

But his boundless energy and constant, never ending, talking required an adjustment; one that we fully accepted as ours to make.

We wouldn’t want him to change at all for he is exactly who God made him to be.

Spending time with our grandson has shown me just how much our spiritual lives mimic our physical lives. Our stages of life are so very similar to the stages in our faith life. Allow me to give you an example of what I mean.

When we first receive Christ as our Lord and Savior, we are no different than a newborn child. 2 Corinthians 5:17 tells us: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”

Newborns are totally dependent on others for everything, including what goes in and what comes out!

Likewise, when we were new believers we had to depend on others for sustenance (God’s Word), and guidance (understanding God’s Word).

The Bible, with new terminology, characters, stories, and depth of teaching embedded within, is simply too difficult for the average person to learn without help. 1 Peter 2:2-3 tells us exactly what we need, “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.”

For a newborn, every experience is a new experience, just as it was for us when we were new to God’s Kingdom. 1 Peter 2:9-10 expresses why it was all new to us, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”

Our new world was different, yet refreshing; strange, yet strangely wonderful. It seemed upside down from the rest of the world, yet it felt right. Just as newborns need help understanding this world, we too needed help understanding our new world.

One thing newborns instinctively know is who they belong to, their mommies and daddies. The soothing voices, the warm embraces, the loving affection, and the provision of all that’s needed tells a newborn child: you are loved.

Didn’t you feel the same way – that you were loved – when you first made that decision to follow Jesus and became a child of God? “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23.

Yes, this was us when we first entered into our relationship with Jesus. For some of us, it was the raising of a hand at the end of a sermon. For others, it may have been in a quiet moment of reflection.

Regardless of our path, here we all are today. But let me ask you an honest question – do you think accepting Christ is all there is to being a Christian, a follower of Christ?

I hope not. My hope is to convince you that the beginning of our walk is far from the destiny God wants for us.

Over the next few weeks, we will walk through the various stages of our lives and compare them to our walk with Jesus.

For some, it may help you discover just where you are in your faith walk. 

As I conclude, let me share what my daughter said when I asked what she wanted for her son when he grows up.

She replied saying that she wants him to grow up independent, mature and self-confident. That when he grows up, he will be willing to work hard in pursuit of his passion. That he surrounds himself with loving friends who care for him when he’s down, who are his guardrails when he strays off course, and who are his cheerleaders in times of success. 

In short, she wants him to be mature, productive, have loving relationships and be happy. Is this not what God our Father wants for us?

“We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.” Colossians 1:9-12.

In love always,