[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 (like today) 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 chubby, happy 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. Their concern =
over such slow development led to a specialist (our Jewish doctor) to =
find out if I had mental issues. [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. In north Minneapolis there was one only =
a short bus ride away. Once there, I was tested and found to =
"only" have congestive bronchial asthma and sent home. =
Polio hit our =
block in a few years later. 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 relatives (DNA =
testing shows 25% Ashkenazi Jewish blood), Lutheran 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 near north =
side of Minneapolis. It gave her and my dad a little =
“alone” time. 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 work within me) on that March 17th cried out in =
repentance for God to save me from hell and faith to believe that Jesus =
died for me to wash away my sin. It was ALL God’s grace. Kinda =
like a baby celebrating his birthday – the baby really didn’t =
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. Then a couple years ago I had a massive right-brain stroke =
and totally paralyzed on the left side. No one knew what deficits I =
would have, or if I would even live.
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 =
74. 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 2022 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!"