Happy Birthday, Bear!

I have three great kids.

They take after their mother.

One of the things that I love about my oldest, the Bear, is how he's persevering through some of the struggles that he faces.  It also leads me to one of the more difficult prayers I pray for any of my kids.

I have quit asking for relief.

Instead, I've started asking for God to work in his heart to bring about proven character and hope, a kind of spiritual maturity that cannot be learned outside the school of hardship and suffering.  (see Romans 5.3-5 and James 1.2-4)

I'd much rather pray for relief.  But I know for his sake and for Jesus' sake, the better prayer in this instance is for God to use what the Bear is experiencing to bring the Kingdom and accompanying transformation into his life.  Not easy.  But necessary.

And so happy birthday to a brave and awesome 10-year old.  I love this kid.