Recently I have been revisiting some of my old writings. This is from December 2013, when my wife was pregnant with our first child. It moved me. I don’t really remember writing it, but I can remember having all of these emotions. I wasn’t a Pappy yet. But I was on my way.
“Is your husband all right? Is your child all right?”
“Everything is all right,” she said.
2 Kings 4:26
As my wife and I move closer to the birth of our first child, I am gaining a little more perspective on what a gift the sacrifice of Christ Jesus entailed for His Heavenly Father.
My son will make his appearance in this world about nineteen weeks from now. Through ultrasounds we have seen his ten perfect fingers and ten tiny toes. We saw him bring his hand to his mouth and turn flips in his cramped temporary home.
He looks like a mini-version of what he’ll look like when he’s born. All his facial features are formed and hair is growing on his head. He is even acting like a baby and will occasionally suck his thumb or yawn. To me, these things are amazing. He is already smart!
His heartbeat is getting stronger and my wife and I have heard it beat. Even more miraculous are the complex things his body is doing. For example, despite the extremely small size of his bones, his marrow is making blood cells. This may not sound that exciting, but it’s good news. It means that my son is on his way to being able to survive outside the comfort of his Mommie’s belly in this great big world.
I can imagine God looking down on Mary. He is the ultimate ultrasound. Despite the fact that He is the creator of all, or maybe because He is, I envision Him looking at His son, God incarnate, in the womb. Counting the hairs on Christ’s head, all the while already knowing which tree would be crafted into the cross on which this little baby’s short but world changing life would end.
I would spend all day every day staring at my son growing and moving if I could. I am filled with awe and excitement every time my Wife grabs her belly because she can feel him moving.
Like God did, I know my son is going to change the world.
Jesus was the same size once upon a time. So innocent, so fragile, so perfect. Just as He was when He made His trek to the cross. He was a warrior for man-kind. A game changer. An eternity adjuster.
On (or around) April 13th, I will hold Asher Reid Bryant for the first time. He is going to change my game.
Move forward through this Holiday Season knowing that our Lord came to us as a child, grew into manhood, and then made the ultimate sacrifice so that we would live eternally in Him.
Show the world that the birth of Jesus Christ made everything all right. Show them that we have a peace that can only come from Him. Make that peace contagious.
You may not have a kid on the way, or big plans for Christmas, or even feel you have much to be joyful for. I challenge you to change your game as this year comes to a close. Explore how you can change your world and in turn change someone else’s.
Remember the promise: “Everything is all right.”
Not easy, not perfect, and sometimes scary, but no matter what, hold to the truth that one day you will run into the arms of your Savior, sit in His lap, look Him in the eyes, and know at last that it is indeed all right.
Earlier this week Asher and I were lucky enough to get a sneak peak at the new Space Racers exhibit at the
Asher was drawn in immediately by the cartoon pictures and we were instantly building a rocket.
The Purposeful Pappy 
