French Toast and Jesus

“If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” Matthew 7:11

 

My husband started a crazy tradition umpteen years ago.  Instead of the family making him breakfast for Father’s Day, he makes us a yummy meal.  Not sure exactly when it started, but it happened when the kids were young.  Since then, on a Sunday every June, we all get treated to the best French Toast ever made.

 

I know what you’re thinking; that I should insist for just the opposite, but trust me, I’ve tried.  The kids have tried.  I’ve told him countless times how silly of a thing it is, and to let us take over.  That hasn’t worked.  One year we surprised him and gave the ol’ breakfast in bed a shot, but he was genuinely disappointed that he didn’t get to keep with his self-imposed tradition.

 

French Toast.

 

A simple meal, but one I haven’t seen the back-story to until yesterday.

 

You see, when the kids were young, our household was like many with trade-off of weekends and holidays.  Although we all worked very hard on making it as least of an imposition as possible, our time with the kids was sometimes limited.

 

The breakfast change came without warning.  Their dad wanted to make the day much more special for his three little ones.  He made a commitment in his mind that the day wouldn’t be just about him. He wanted to do for his children more than they could possibly do for him on that special morning. It was his day, exactly the way he wanted it.

 

Flash to several years later, a few college graduations under our belts, and a fight I gave up long ago; we gathered together once again for our tradition.  But one was missing. A tearful goodbye happened just a few weeks ago as the oldest set off to start a new life thousands of miles away on “the other side” of the country.  His first-born left the nest, to make her own.  The one that will always be his little girl…wasn’t there at breakfast yesterday.  And I saw his heart was heavy.  And the French Toast seemed a little different.

 

Somewhere between the dunking of the bread and the saying of grace, I saw much more than a tradition I’ve had a hard time understanding.  I saw a father who cherished each year of his own making for the preparation of this very year.  This year which was inevitably coming. I watched a father who loved on his two babies who still sat at the table with him, yet held close to the long distance phone call he received unexpectedly.  I saw a strong man, who is always willing to do anything for his children, feel the pangs of life’s progression.

 

And I saw in our kitchen how our Heavenly Father’s way is with us.

 

God could have stopped with just giving us life.

He could have said, “I made this earth, I made the heavens, I made you, that’s it—have at it…see you in a few years. And by the way, I want you to shower me with specialty every day—because it’s all about me.”

But he didn’t.  He knew life would march on all around us.  He knew we would feel the need to leave the nest.  He knew that we would do everything in our power to go our own way for our own interests.  And His heart has been heavy, too.

 

Yet…He loved us beyond our comprehension.

 

He wanted to make His special day, all about us, and not about Him.

 

And on that day a cross was used.  Darkness fell.  Yet three days later, a stone rolled away and we were given a gift!  His day, was actually OUR day.

 

My husband gave me such an earthly view of God’s incredible gift to us.  It’s not just about what we can do for Him, it is all about what He keeps doing for us.  From the day of an empty tomb, to this very day of our lives, God has said that his children will always be the recipients of much greater gifts than we could ever give him.

 

A little French Toast goes a long way.

 

God’s gift goes on forever.

 

Dear Papa, thank you for my life.  Thank you for the gift of Jesus.  Thank you for the gift of salvation.  May I never take it for granted and always see that Your gift to me is far greater than my praises to you. May I use my life always as gratitude for such a sacrifice You gave.  May I always see each day as Father’s Day.  Thank you Papa.