None of us is an ‘only-child’

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAI have never been an ‘only-child’.  I was in the middle of five kids.  There are many of you that may be the only- child, or were the only-child up until your parents brought home that younger sibling(s), and then had things change dramatically.  No longer were you the center of attention.  Now, we did raise an ‘only-child’, our son Ben, for four years until his sister Julie came onto the scene.  So, I know what it is like to focus all of your parenting onto a single child.  And, one of the primary reasons we had a second child was because we wanted Ben to have a sibling and experience all of the benefits of learning how to share the stage with someone else.

However, one of the potential downsides to any scenario with multiple beneficiaries is that they will always be the opportunity to ‘keep score’.  Every parent of multiple kids will hear at least one time in their lives that something is not ‘fair’.  That little Jimmy got more dessert than his sister Mary.  Or, how come my older brother got the new clothes and I was stuck with the hand-me-downs?  Well, we soon learn as we mature, that life is not fair, and if you are taking the time to keep score there is a strong probability that you will be disappointed.  Our expectation of fairness is largely driven by the democratic culture that we foster here in America, which ironically, has the largest gap between the wealthiest and poorest citizens in the world.  There is a lot of score keeping here, with most of us trying to make sure that we get what we believe we are entitled.

Step back and now put that in the context of our relationship with God and you begin to understand what Grace is all about.  God has offered us communion with Him in eternal Paradise.  And through the sacrifice of His Son Jesus on the cross, we need do nothing but accept the offer.  How fair is that?  If God were keeping score, I am pretty sure that Heaven would have a lot of vacancies.   Or to put it another way, if we truly did get what we deserved, most of us would be in trouble.  So why is it that we tend to put conditions on how we bestow our own favor when it comes to those who need it?  Why do we hesitate to give the homeless guy on the street a buck or two because we think he should be out there looking for a job?  Why do we separate ourselves from the less ‘desirable’ segments of society sometimes because we think ‘they are getting what they deserve’?   (This is where that old saying, ‘There, but for the Grace of God, go I’ sticks it to us.)  We learn from Jesus Christ Himself that there is only one requirement for the full receipt of God’s Grace, and it is that we not keep score, but give ourselves freely to all those in need (Matthew 25:34-40):

34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

So with Thanksgiving this week and Christmas soon after, let’s remember this and make a habit to give freely to all our brothers and sisters in need, and in doing so give thanks to God for not giving us what we deserve.  Peace to you all.

89 thoughts on “None of us is an ‘only-child’

  1. sugar Defender Adding Sugar
    Protector to my day-to-day regimen was just one of the most effective choices
    I have actually created my wellness. I beware about what I consume, but this
    supplement includes an added layer of assistance.
    I feel much more stable throughout the day, and my food cravings have lowered substantially.
    It behaves to have something so easy that makes such a huge distinction!

  2. Next time I read a blog, Hopefully it won’t disappoint me just as much as this one. After all, Yes, it was my choice to read, but I genuinely believed you would have something helpful to say. All I hear is a bunch of whining about something you can fix if you weren’t too busy seeking attention.

  3. I’m extremely pleased to find this website. I need to to thank you for your time for this particularly fantastic read!! I definitely liked every bit of it and i also have you book-marked to check out new information in your website.

  4. Oh my goodness! Awesome article dude! Thanks, However I am experiencing problems with your RSS. I don’t understand why I cannot join it. Is there anybody getting similar RSS issues? Anyone that knows the answer will you kindly respond? Thanks.

  5. May I just say what a relief to find someone that really understands what they are discussing on the web. You definitely understand how to bring an issue to light and make it important. More people need to check this out and understand this side of your story. I was surprised you are not more popular given that you definitely have the gift.

  6. You have made some really good points there. I looked on the net for additional information about the issue and found most individuals will go along with your views on this site.

  7. Oh my goodness! Impressive article dude! Many thanks, However I am experiencing troubles with your RSS. I don’t know why I can’t join it. Is there anybody else having identical RSS problems? Anybody who knows the answer can you kindly respond? Thanks.

  8. May I just say what a relief to uncover someone that actually knows what they are talking about on the web. You actually know how to bring an issue to light and make it important. More and more people have to look at this and understand this side of the story. I was surprised that you are not more popular because you most certainly have the gift.

  9. Hello there! This blog post couldn’t be written much better! Looking at this article reminds me of my previous roommate! He always kept preaching about this. I will send this information to him. Fairly certain he will have a good read. I appreciate you for sharing!

  10. You are so interesting! I do not believe I’ve read anything like this before. So wonderful to find another person with some unique thoughts on this issue. Seriously.. thank you for starting this up. This website is something that’s needed on the web, someone with a bit of originality.

  11. Oh my goodness! Awesome article dude! Thank you so much, However I am having issues with your RSS. I don’t know why I cannot join it. Is there anybody else getting the same RSS problems? Anybody who knows the answer can you kindly respond? Thanks!

  12. I really love your website.. Great colors & theme. Did you build this amazing site yourself? Please reply back as I’m hoping to create my own personal blog and want to know where you got this from or exactly what the theme is named. Appreciate it!

  13. I’m excited to find this web site. I want to to thank you for your time for this particularly fantastic read!! I definitely really liked every part of it and i also have you saved as a favorite to check out new stuff in your blog.

  14. An outstanding share! I’ve just forwarded this onto a friend who had been doing a little homework on this. And he actually bought me dinner due to the fact that I discovered it for him… lol. So let me reword this…. Thanks for the meal!! But yeah, thanks for spending time to talk about this issue here on your blog.

  15. Good post. I learn something totally new and challenging on sites I stumbleupon everyday. It will always be interesting to read through content from other authors and use something from other websites.

  16. For several years, I’ve fought uncertain blood sugar swings
    that left me really feeling drained pipes and sluggish.
    However considering that incorporating Sugar my power levels are currently stable and consistent,
    and I no more strike a wall in the afternoons.
    I appreciate that it’s a mild, all-natural method
    that doesn’t come with any undesirable side effects. It’s genuinely changed my daily life.

  17. Having read this I believed it was really enlightening. I appreciate you taking the time and effort to put this content together. I once again find myself spending way too much time both reading and posting comments. But so what, it was still worth it.

  18. Howdy! I just would like to offer you a big thumbs up for the great information you’ve got right here on this post. I am coming back to your website for more soon.

  19. Hi there! This blog post could not be written much better! Going through this post reminds me of my previous roommate! He always kept talking about this. I’ll send this post to him. Pretty sure he will have a great read. Many thanks for sharing!

  20. Hi! I could have sworn I’ve visited this blog before but after browsing through a few of the articles I realized it’s new to me. Nonetheless, I’m definitely delighted I discovered it and I’ll be bookmarking it and checking back often.

  21. Hello! I could have sworn I’ve visited this site before but after browsing through a few of the posts I realized it’s new to me. Regardless, I’m certainly delighted I found it and I’ll be bookmarking it and checking back regularly!

  22. I’d like to thank you for the efforts you have put in penning this website. I am hoping to see the same high-grade blog posts from you later on as well. In fact, your creative writing abilities has motivated me to get my own website now 😉

  23. May I simply just say what a relief to discover somebody that really knows what they are talking about online. You certainly understand how to bring a problem to light and make it important. More and more people have to check this out and understand this side of the story. I was surprised that you are not more popular given that you certainly possess the gift.

  24. I’m amazed, I must say. Seldom do I come across a blog that’s both equally educative and engaging, and let me tell you, you have hit the nail on the head. The problem is something that not enough men and women are speaking intelligently about. I’m very happy that I stumbled across this during my search for something relating to this.

  25. After looking over a handful of the articles on your web site, I really like your technique of blogging. I added it to my bookmark site list and will be checking back soon. Please visit my website as well and let me know what you think.

  26. After I initially commented I seem to have clicked on the -Notify me when new comments are added- checkbox and from now on each time a comment is added I recieve four emails with the same comment. Perhaps there is a way you are able to remove me from that service? Kudos.

  27. Having read this I believed it was very informative. I appreciate you taking the time and energy to put this content together. I once again find myself personally spending way too much time both reading and leaving comments. But so what, it was still worth it!

  28. Good day! I could have sworn I’ve visited your blog before but after browsing through a few of the articles I realized it’s new to me. Regardless, I’m definitely pleased I stumbled upon it and I’ll be bookmarking it and checking back regularly!

  29. An outstanding share! I’ve just forwarded this onto a co-worker who has been doing a little research on this. And he actually ordered me dinner simply because I discovered it for him… lol. So let me reword this…. Thanks for the meal!! But yeah, thanx for spending some time to talk about this subject here on your web page.

  30. May I just say what a comfort to find someone who truly knows what they are talking about online. You certainly know how to bring a problem to light and make it important. More people really need to read this and understand this side of the story. I was surprised you aren’t more popular since you certainly have the gift.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *