25th Birthday! A Milestone For My Firstborn.

Happy 25th Birthday, Nathan!

July 13, 2018

(The royal colour purple 'cause you are a Prince among men)

For this milestone birthday, I will start with my prayer and blessing for you from Scripture:

Yes, Nate, may the rest of your life be marked by:

- the overflow of love for others

- continual growth in spiritual knowledge and insight

- discernment to see clearly the difference between right and wrong

- inwardly clean leaving no-one fodder for criticism

All of the above will display His life in you and you will be a display for His glory.

My son, what is remarkable is that you have already started on this journey and I look at you in awe, truly humbled that God gifted me with you. 

Does this incredible kid actually call me "Mom"?

I'll be honest. My greatest regret is what postpartum depression robbed me of in your first year especially. How I wish I could roll back the clock even for an hour and go hold this baby Nathan and cradle him and look at him and adore those big beautiful brown eyes. Oh my goodness, you were such a beautiful baby! And toddler! And child! And teenager! And now, an amazing young man with a great future ahead of you as long as you continue to align with God's purpose for you!

Birth: July 13, 1993

1st year; 1st baby car seat

1st year: after bath

6 months: Sailor baby with background sketch by me!

2nd year: Loved to play with those cushions!

3rd year: How you loved Ernie!

TCS: Grade 2 or 3??

Grade ⅞: Huck Finn at TCS

TDCH: Grade 9

TDCH Grad

Grebel Orientation

3rd year uni?

The law student

 Oh my goodness, pretty sure you have many more great pics to chronicle your years. But you and I both know those years were marked by some pretty tough times, times when I thought we would drown in circumstances as a family, but for God's grace. I know that those times wounded and scarred you but then, God's grace. 
Grace has marked your journey, Nate.
Never forget that.
It is obvious that you were marked from the beginning for greatness:
(Psalm 139:16)"Your eyes have seen my unformed substance;
And in Your book were all written
The days that were appointed for me,
When as yet there was not one of them [even taking shape].

(Psalm 37:23) "The steps of a [good and righteous] man are directed and established by the Lord, And He delights in his way [and blesses his path].

And as much as you were marked by Him for His glory, there is one who is furious, who hates what God loves, and as you have read Screwtape Letters, is bent on sabotaging the good good Father's plan for you. One day you will be able to see your timeline, where Satan threw that curveball, that spear, that brilliant scheme at you. You will see where God's angels deflected blows. You will see where you did not see it coming and floundered. You will see where God covered you and picked you up.

Grace.

And what I have loved is the precious relationship you have with your lil bro, albeit with insults and brotherly banter. One thing I know is the incredible bond you share. You were so proud of him from birth, announcing to your kindergarten class that you had your first son! Thank you for being his number one fan. One day (and it could be soon knowing how old I already am, eh?) it will be just the two of you and it is a comfort to know you will have each other's backs. Remember to love and give and receive from each other without conditions.

And friendships! 
Wow, how blessed you have been! From church to high school to university, God has blessed you with wonderful friends. 
And service opportunities.
And musicals! 
And there it is again.
Grace.

And then, there is of course a beautiful young woman you met and fell in love with along the way. So thankful for her and the love and loyalty she has shown. Godly heritage. Beautiful inside and out. 

Sarah.

 And what an incredible voice you have and how I love to hear you sing! Still have to figure out how to share Mp3 format for that very thoughtful cover of Ed Sheehan Perfect, but at least I have these two on YouTube!

Oh Nate, have to admit it is getting harder and more emotional to do these blessings as the years flow, just like going through old photos, the pull and tug in the heart evoking these deep emotions that only history brings.
Thank you for being a part of my history, for being a shining warmth along my path.
For being a part of our family.

So Nate, my firstborn, my exhortations for you:
- always remember to pursue His kingdom and righteousness first before all else.
- in relationships, a healthy relationship will always build you up and draw you a step closer to God, nurture them; an unhealthy relationship will leave you in turmoil and an unpleasant aftertaste, set them aside or else they will drain you.
- never dilute His truth to make it palatable.
- ground yourself in His love and so that you are not devastated when demoralized by others. His love is what is unchanging and what changes you.

So my darling handsome smart and hard-working son, I wish you nothing but the best but at the same time, knowing that the 'best' in God's eyes is not upward mobility or worldly riches. It is a life marked by brokenness and humility, service and compassion, truth and justice. Love you to the moon and back.

Prayer:
Father, I come before You with a heart so full. Of gratitude. Of love. Of wishes. For my son. Your child. 25 years. Wow. I can see Your fingerprints all over his timeline. I can see where Satan also threw his darts. But You have covered this child with Your grace from Day One. How can I ever thank You? Please continue to watch over him and equip him for the days and years ahead. Amplify Your life inside of him. Give him a desire for more of You. For silence to hear Your voice. Let his love for You be expressed in his obedience to your Word. So give him a desire for Your Word and bring it to life in him. When he is ready to marry, give him a teachable and humble heart to love and serve his mate even as Christ loved and served His Bride, the church. Give him ample doses of wisdom in his law career and may he be known by his integrity and honour. A gentleman in every respect. SO people can point to him even as he points to You.
Thank you for this very special gift you gave to our family as Mike said once: "What a happy day when Nathan was born!"
I commit him to You, dear Lord, simply because he has always been Yours and he is perfectly loved by You. Father, I do look forward to seeing more of Your purpose for him unfolding.
Now to You, O Lord, be the glory for ever and ever, Amen.

Always, with love, thoughts and prayers,
Mom.