The Simba Moment!

I will never forget what happened next; my son Ben picked up Theo, wrapped him up and brought him across to me, reaching out and handing him over with great pride and honour. This for me was a ‘Simba moment’ from the Lion King where the baby cub is held up before the crowds; there are tears for me as I write this and remember that time…

This is real stuff from a Father God who loves his children. There is need for you to understand how much God loves and cherishes you. But more than gaining an understanding, Paul prays in his epistle to the Ephesians ( Chapter 3 verses 18 ; 19 ) “that we might know and experience the love of God; and even more that we would be filled with the fullness of that love”. It is surely good to understand it, but how much better to be filled to overflowing with the experience of God’s love!! 

Finally in this journey we find ourselves in hospital. It is a maternity room and we have gone there with the news that my son and his wife have had their first child, a little boy. Everything is ok for all concerned and we await seeing our first grandson.  The place has some memories for me. My wife was rushed into such a ward when our first – expected was 5 months in the womb; things didn’t work out for us as our little boy was still-born.

The Amazing Picture

One year later I remember dancing down the sodden streets of Oldham ‘singing in the rain’ at the birth of our beautiful Emma – it was 3am and all was well. 18 months later the experience was re-lived again as my son was born.  And now as I walked with my wife and daughter into the hospital to see our new grandson I deferred to grandma having a hold first, whilst I looked at Theo; this in itself was wonderful but I will never forget what happened next; my son Ben picked up Theo, wrapped him up and brought him across to me, reaching out and handing him over with great pride and honour. This for me was a ‘Simba moment’ from the Lion King where the baby cub is held up before the crowds. 

My own son, handing over his son, to me his father: 

There are tears for me as I write this and remember that time, especially since our second grandchild was born yesterday. And it has helped me in part to see an amazing picture: Father God sends Jesus who is the ‘first-born of many sons’. Jesus dies on the cross and the way is made open to Father God for all believers. For Jesus says He is the Way to the Father, No-one comes to the Father except through Him And then I see Jesus pick me up in His arms  and carry me to His Father’. Here is another one Father’. He says, as He hands me over. And Father looks upon me and smiles and laughs He holds me up for all the angels to rejoice; He says ‘thank you’ to His Son Jesus; And there is great rejoicing in heaven over another one who is brought into the family through the sacrificial love of His dear Son. 

The love of earthly fathers for their children can be great. So Jesus asks the question “If that is how much you earthly fathers love your children, how much more do you think your Heavenly Father loves you?”  “If that is what imperfect love looks like, how do you think the perfect love of my Heavenly Father is going to be?”

Jesus: The Source of Overflowing Love

I am sorry if you had a bad experience of parents, or fathers, or authority figures, and I am not being glib in my sharing. However, I believe in a Heavenly Father God who is able to do more than you can imagine or think to either redeem what was awful, or further enhance what was good. And I pray with St Paul that you might grasp and understand, may come to know and experience, and that you might be filled to overflowing with the fullness of God’s love