Daddy – The Saturday Morning Post by Pastor Ted Stahl

Today’s Reading –  Nehemiah 8 – 10 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers Read – 1 Corinthians 13 – 16; Psalms 1 – 5; Proverbs 1)

Scripture Memorization for June – Verses Supporting an Unlimited Atonement

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song –  Joshua 1:8

Read a great article by Pastor Cary Schmidt – “The Power of Biblical Affirmation“

Read the “0601 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Read a previous post from today’s reading – “We Will Not Forsake the House of Our God“

Good morning, and happy first day anniversary to Roni and Mike. They tied the knot last night in a beautiful ceremony. It was good to hear Roni sing again, as she sang a love song to Mike. Cheyenne (Roni’s daughter) looked very pretty in her gown. There was one thing I noticed about Cheyenne, as she walked into the sanctuary, she was nervously chewing her bottom lip. A thought came into my mind: I wonder if she understands that this is a new life for her too: that she is getting a new daddy?

Memories started flooding my brain. I remembered when I got back together with Camille. Then I remembered Melissa asking her, “Can I call him daddy yet?”

I had to grab onto the sound booth to steady myself, as I felt the tears swell up in my eyes. I thought about our wedding in the office of the mayor of Brick Township. I believe it was Mayor Kinievy (I’m not sure of the spelling). Camille was crying. She held my hand tightly, as we swung them nervously back and forth, while listening to the Mayor speak. We said our “I do’s”, and it was done. When I married Camille, I was agreeing to take Melissa too, as my own daughter. …To love and to cherish, till… I remembered before Melissa got the arthritis. I raced her from the parking lot, to the entrance of Monmouth Mall. She fell and skinned her knee. We were looking in a few stores, when we realized that Melissa wasn’t with us. PANIC! We ran back to the last store we were in, and there she was, sitting on the floor, with a security guard putting a bandage on her scraped knee.

I remembered the arthritis, which would eventually cause her to have both hips, both knees replaced, five or six cervical vertebrae fused, and her head attached with wires and screws. Her wrist was humped like a camel’s back. Two rods were inserted in her wrist to make it straight again.

I remembered the one-month stay Melissa had at the Children’s Seashore Hospital in Atlantic City. It was there we met Debbie, a little girl with Spinal Bifida. She would later become part of the youth group at The Christian Bible Church. Thinking of Debbie made me think about the two ladies, with child, in our church. What if their child is born with arthritis or Spinal Bifida? The Bible says in the end times that people will be without natural affection. Will they still care for, and love their defective children? I’m sure that these two ladies would. God would not trust them with such a precious cargo if they would not.

She went home to Heaven on Thursday morning, February 16, 2012, 1:15am. This is something I would have a hard time forgetting. God blessed us with Melissa for 36 years. Parents: love your kids. You don’t know how long they will be with you. Make some memories with your children. You may have to thank God one day for those memories.

I hope that this blog will help someone. Things happen in our lives, but God gives us gifts to help others. I hope this will edify. 1Corinthians 14:26 says, “How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying.”

Peace. (Revelation 21:5)