My son, Ben, attends a university in central Florida. This is his freshman year and he is doing very well. Of course we miss him a great deal, but as his father, I am especially proud of his independence and ability to “make it on his own.” He is coming home for Thanksgiving soon; the airline ticket for his flight home and back after Thanksgiving break was atrociously expensive. It was a cost we were not necessarily planning on, but in the end, I believe it is worth it. Ben’s younger brothers and sister miss him quite a bit, and the anticipation is building in them (as well as us) to see him again soon.
We went through this experience two years ago when our oldest son, Zack, was away from home for the first time. I had driven my in-law’s car down to Florida for them and took advantage of the proximity to Zack to spend a long weekend with him at my parents-in-law’s winter home. This was a few weeks before he came home for Thanksgiving break. I remember how much I anticipated the joy of seeing him and embracing my son after a few months of separation. Even so, when he came home a few weeks later for his Thanksgiving break, I was filled with anticipation and our whole family had a bounce in their step. This year, with Zack going to college only a half hour from home, we still revel in each opportunity to see him again.
My son Ben, truly is a work of art from God’s brush. It is amazing to me that He entrusts us to complete the canvas of His works of art that we call our children. He creates them, breathes life into their bodies and souls, and then gives us the stewardship to add the colors to their life. Oh sure, as parents, we make mistakes and add too much purple or green, but His design is flawless and His hand provides the Master Artist brushstrokes that ultimately finish a masterpiece of artwork. This masterpiece is our son Benjamin, and it is also each of our other five canvases that the Master Artist has place in our studio. My prayer this morning and every morning is that we will never put our brushes down and quit our efforts toward the completion of these portraits of grace!