Happy Birthday, Mr. King!

I know this post is late.  8 days late to be exact.  

My excuse?

I have a husband in a wheelchair (temporarily) and a 6 year old boy - both of whom are Bermuda triangles of time.  It is amazing that I even remember to shave my legs!  But last week we took time to pause & explain to our son the special significance of the day at hand.  

On Monday, January 20th, our nation stopped to celebrate the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. (born Jan. 15, 1929....... obviously all good birthdays are nationally recognized on Mondays, so as to give everyone a good 4 days to revel in the eating of the ice cream & the inhaling of the birthday cake.........amen?)  In years past, this day never really meant a whole lot to me {shame on me!}  I wouldn't say that the day went by unnoticed, but it certainly didn't bring tears to my eyes.  And it certainly didn't grasp my soul & shake it hard.  Hard enough to make me cry out in utter thankfulness to Almighty God.  

A cry of thanksgiving for His putting into the hearts of brave men & women (like MLK, Jr. & many others) the truth of who we are & the strength and courage to fight-like-the-dickens against the sin and wrong doing in the world.  The Bible tells us {Genesis 1:27} that mankind was created in God's image.  And His image is worthy of respect.  As the children's song says "red & yellow, black & white they are precious in His sight - Jesus loves the little children of the world." 

The biography of Martin Luther King, Jr. shows us how deep the Father's love for us is - how passionate, how strong, how fierce, how right.  It also shows us of His faithfulness to deliver His children from injustice and sin and wrong doing.

And I am so very, very thankful!  Without the lives of brave men & women, my sweet, little family may not even exist........... and that is an unbearable thought.

So, next time the country stops to honor the life of Martin Luther King, Jr.......... won't you stop, too - regardless of the color of your skin?  And be thankful?  Thankful that we serve a great and mighty God!