Abba's Day!

Do you like fairs/carnivals? The smell of sweet or fried food in the air, the sun baking down on you, face paintings, games, excited crowds of people, and a host of rides that seem to take up almost every square foot of that park or church parking lot? Well, I don't! However that doesn't mean I don't enjoy myself. After all, while I may not be the carnival type, I know my kids are; and it's so much fun to watch the joy on their faces. I love how putting aside my own agenda for my kids' can bring me so much joy.

We see that same type of self-sacrifice with other occasions too; birthdays, mother's day, father's day. We put aside our own interests for the sake of the one(s) whom we are celebrating.

Imagine having an Abba's day; a Father's day for our Lord. We talk about doing this all the time as Christians, but have I ever really done it? After all, there are some mother's days that I feel were less "successful" than others. Perhaps some years I really found a way to lay aside my own agenda for my wife, or mother. Maybe some years with the business of it all I lost the focus of who I was really celebrating. Yet there are those days where you can probably recall making it all about them and how great it really felt.

Thus I go back to my original point: Imagine doing that for God; taking a day to truly celebrate Him. Waking up, and completely laying aside your own agenda and letting the Spirit guide you in prayer or through the Word, or simply in Spirit to whomever He wants you to talk to that day; whatever He wants you to do that day; wherever He wants you to go that day?

Oh, I've had times where I felt I listened to the Spirit and was blessed by what He led me to. I've had days were I was so deeply into His Word that He impacted me significantly. I've had days were I think I prayed more than I spoke. I've had days where I woke up and the first words that left my lips were Thank You Lord. Yet I don't think I've consciously had a day that from morning until night I've put aside my own agenda for His. There have been plenty of times where I prayerfully sought His guidance and presence on my own agenda, but I never truly put down my clipboard with my list of things to do and said: "Not today ... it's Your list today!".

He's blessed me with a wife, children, job, house, and other responsibilities, and I know He recognizes that. However I know I can and should put down my agenda once in a while (and certainly more than once a year) to truly celebrate Abba's Day. If my children's agenda can bring me joy when I lay down mine for theirs, how much more joy will His agenda bring to me! :)

Looking forward to telling you about my first Abba's Day soon! =)

His,
~Matthew