HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER

Proverbs 30:17 “The eye that mocks a father, that scorns an aged mother, will be pecked out by the ravens of the valley, will be eaten by vultures.”

This one verse struck a chord in my heart. It touches one of the Ten Commandments, “Honor your father and mother which is the first commandment with a promise” (Eph. 6:2). “That your days may be prolonged in the land which the Lord your God gives you” (Ex. 20:12).

This Proverbs' verse speaks of a curse, not a promise. It also reminds me of the father waiting for his prodigal son to return. My short story - my first wife passed away with cancer in 2009. I remarried, in 2015, to a godly woman. My children never accepted her, and they, for the most part, disrespected both her and I because of it. Like the prodigal's father I have been waiting for the day that I could wrap them in my arms and welcome them back into the family. I also cringe at the end of this verse, praying that it will never be fulfilled.

We need to pray for our “blended families.” They all go through times like this. Sometimes there is quick transition and everything settles down and the family moves on together . Sometimes it takes years for the struggle to subside. I’ve heard it explained like a crockpot. You put all your ingredients in together and let them all cook slowly and meld together into a wonderful meal. In my case some of the “ingredients” chose not to get into the pot. Sure, some sat on the edge and dipped their toes in and decided that it wasn’t for them. But they don’t see that they could be so much more together with us than they could ever be alone.

So here I stand, just like our Heavenly Father, with arms wide open to accept us into heaven; with arms wide open to accept back into the family the ones who will come.