[For new =
subscribers to the Grif.Net or for those reading the daily blog on www.grif.net or on Facebook – on =
Monday-Friday we send out a slightly warped blend of humor. On the =
weekend we send out material that is more serious of a moral, ethical, =
religious or political nature. Sometimes we send =
“Special” messages that are personal. This week I had TWO =
BIRTHDAYS, and every year or two I try to share this story on the =
Grif.Net that includes a little bit of my personal life (and my heart) =
with all the faithful readers, even if you’ve heard it before! =
Will return to humor tomorrow, you hope!]
PART =
ONE:
Sunday, March =
14, 1948 was a momentous day for Bud and Helen Griffin of =
Minneapolis. Bud had come home from WWII in the Philippines and =
now they were expecting a baby. A lanky little baby boy, Robert =
Edward Griffin, Jr., was born at the Swedish Hospital that morning, at =
just over 7 pounds. While the family was dirt poor, they had each =
other, lots of kin folk, and more love than any family =
deserves.
I did not walk =
until 24 months. I did not talk until 26 months. They actually =
took me to a specialist (our Jewish doctor) to find out if I was =
retarded. [Don’t get ahead of me]. He said "No" and =
indicated that once I started to talk, they would never be able to shut =
me up. Prophetic!
I almost died =
that 2nd summer. TB was rampant and I could not breathe. So it was =
recommended to put me in a tuberculosis sanatorium (note the spelling) =
and hope I would survive. Once there, I was tested and found to =
"only" have congestive bronchial asthma and sent home. =
Polio hit our =
block in 1956. It killed a couple of my classmates and crippled Jerry a =
few doors up the alley from us. The tragedy and reality of death =
brought a new sincerity to our prayers and search for God. From there it =
was growing up during the Korean War, H-bomb drills in school (like =
hiding under a desk would help in a nuclear attack) and drifting from =
religion to religion – tried Jewish like many neighbors, then Catholic =
like the other neighbors, then Baptist.
PART =
TWO
Sunday, March =
17, 1957, was the second most momentous day. My mother had been sending =
my sister and me a few blocks away to a Baptist church in the inner city =
of Minneapolis. There God began to do a work in my heart. =
Now, I wasn’t a BAD kid – hey, I was only in 4th grade for goodness =
sake! But I knew I was a sinner worthy of God’s judgment. =
And with the very real threat that my world could end any day through =
sickness or war, I was not ready!
Guess I should =
thank God for ordaining my salvation from before the foundation of the =
world, because I’m living fulfillment of the verse in Acts 13:48 " =
. . as many as were ordained to eternal life, believed." =
Wow. All of a sudden my feeble faith (that was the regenerative =
work of the Holy Spirit) on that March 17th cried out in repentance to =
God to save me from hell and wash away my sin. It was ALL God’s =
grace. Kinda like a baby celebrating his birthday – the baby had =
not really ANYTHING to do with it! Conceived and delivered by miracle – =
all the baby does is get squeegeed out and start =
crying!
But that day =
changed the course of the rest of my life. Oh, life went on with =
school, college, grad work, marriage, ordination and three wonderful =
kids of my own, 15 grandkids, pastoring, and serving as a college dean =
and professor. But I had been truly "born again" – not out of =
some emotional hype of high-pressure salesmanship or from a knee-jerk =
reaction to a movie, but an inner moving of God that has never left me =
and continues to give fulfillment and purpose to my =
life.
So, born =
physically March 14th, born again March 17th a decade =
later. And now, facing heaven. All of us "boomers" =
are facing our own mortality. When in 2003 the doctors said =
"You have six months to live. Maybe 1 or 2 painful years at the =
most" – it hung heavily around my neck. Nobody is sure of ANY =
day, but we all plan like there will be endless =
tomorrows.
But you know, =
I didn’t have a thing to do with my day of birth. I didn’t have a =
thing to do with being the recipient of God’s grace on my second =
"birthday". And I won’t have a thing to do with the day =
that HE has appointed for me to go to heaven – whether at 5 or =
105. Someone congratulated me on how I’d "made it" to =
73. What did "I" do? Hello? God gives life, =
not me!
I don’t =
believe doctors and I sure don’t trust them (don’t tell my wife, the =
doctor). I believe God has a plan. I wasn’t born by accident =
and wasn’t born again by accident either. GOD is the blessed =
controller of all things. And until that plan is complete, and not a =
minute sooner, I plan to live every day to the =
fullest!
So, March 17th =
this week is St. Bob’s Day. I am rejoicing that God has given me another =
year to live, celebrated with cake and candles (and fire extinguisher, =
just in case) and now the anniversary of my "becoming a =
saint". So I share the day with Patrick, but I’m not wearin’ the =
green. Since my second birth, I’ve been wearing robes of =
righteousness! And waiting to see my Lord at His divinely =
appointed time.
Thanks for =
listening. And trust YOU can celebrate TWO birthdays in 2021 as well. If =
you have questions, I consider myself a cyber-friend and happy to chat =
with you any time.
~~
Dr Bob Griffin =
[email protected] =
www.grif.net
"Jesus =
Knows Me, This I Love!"