Happy Birthday Matthew: The big "25"!
Your 25th birthday. For some it is nothing more than the "Car Insurance" mile stone. At age 25, your rates are supposed to go down because the insurance agencies found that drivers 25 and over have fewer accidents. So Matthew…. is that it? Let your dad say, "No".
Twenty-five years ago your name revealed something particular about your birth. Your conception was prayed for. On the altar of God, your parents cried out to the Lord for a child, and you were born. In fact, one doctor said it was a miracle that Julie would have been able to have a child. So then, your name is "Matthew": Gift from God. Your middle name means "God is your Judge". These names will define you and shape you for the rest of your life because that is who you are. You are not just "25", you are truly a gift from God. Your life has purpose. When you were born, the cord was around your neck two times and you were turning blue. The doctor was quick and she saved your life. The Lord gave me the spiritual discernment to push the birthing team that was on duty because something was wrong that they did not comprehend. The right doctor came on duty who listened to me and two hours later I was holding you.
When we were in the car accident while traveling to my grandmother's funeral, had you been sitting on the other side of the car, you would not have survived. Did you know that when you were able to sit in the back seat by yourself, I was convinced to always make sure you would sit where I could see you in the rear view mirror? That decision saved your life. When we went on that snow-skiing trip and the ski lift attendant did not pull down the safety bar, and I realized what had happened, I never knew that kind of fear in my life before. God held you in that ski lift that was so easy to tilt forward. What I am trying to say is, God has a purpose for your life and has preserved you through many difficult situations. You have to ask why. You are a gift from God and His hand is on you, His calling is in you. God designed it, I see it, and you express it. So, 25 years later, your life has purpose more than just being born to parents that wanted a child. More than just having a driver's license or being able to vote, or having cheaper insurance. You are maturing and you are being shaped.
Now, your pastor-dad has two passages for you. 1) Proverbs 4, especially verse 23 - "Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life." You have had some tough experiences and witnessed some difficult things. Guard your heart or it can become calloused. You are a gift, and will be a blessing to others so guard the compassionate heart that God has made in you. I see it in you. 2) Philippians 2:12-13- "So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure." Your salvation came at the cost of holy blood spilled on your behalf. God saw fit to call you and to redeem you. Your salvation is not just a future thing but it is a "now" thing. There is purpose in your life and in your salvation. Move in the direction of your salvation and avoid everything else. It does not profit you to be anything else.
On January 25, at the age of 25, you will begin a journey that will shape you in ways that will teach you more about who you are than you now know. The experience is going to add on to who you are. The Lord will use every moment to continue unveiling what He has designed in you. I will be watching and praying because I am your dad and I love you and am so proud of you. I am eager to see what God is going to do with you. Matthew, you are not a child, you are a man and your future is not dark, but it is bright: Your gonna need shades!
I love you son and hope you have a most excellent Birthday!
Dad