The Upper Room Daily Devotional from The United Methodist Church in Nashville Tennessee United States for for Friday, 2 November 2018 "A Family for Everyone" by Aaron Tanner (Alabama)
(Image: Pixabay)
God sets the lonely in families, he leads out the prisoners with singing. (Psalm 68:6 (NIV))I have Asperger syndrome, a form of autism that makes social interactions difficult. My condition would make it hard for me to support a wife and family in the way I would want to. As a result, I decided it was best that I remain single. But one concern that used to keep me up at night was: “Who will take care of me when I am old and can no longer care for myself?”
One day I was encouraged when I came across the psalm quoted above. Families do not have to be related by blood but can be united by a common goal, as with the body of Christ. We can’t always rely even on blood relations, but we can depend on our family who is united in Christ.
This verse assures us that God provides us with support through friends and, more importantly, a church family. In the course of his ministry, Paul, who was single, often expressed gratitude for the ways that different church members provided for his needs at all stages of his life.
TODAY'S PRAYER: Compassionate God, thank you for giving us the opportunity to belong to a kind and loving family. Amen.TODAY'S READING: Isaiah 46:3-4
Isaiah 46:3 “Listen to me, house of Ya‘akov,all who remain of the house of Isra’el:
I have borne you from birth,
carried you since the womb.
4 Till your old age I will be the same —
I will carry you until your hair is white.
I have made you, and I will bear you;
yes, I will carry and save you. (Complete Jewish Bible).
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: As a Christian, I am part of the family of Christ.
PRAYER FOCUS: Those who are single
READ MORE: More From Aaron Tanner
More From Aaron Tanner BY AARON TANNER (ALABAMA)
RELATED DEVOTIONALS: A FAMILY FOR EVERYONE
When I set out to write a devotional for The Upper Room, I was not in a great place. My grandpa, who I was close to, passed away during this time and I was not only struggling at my job but also with my relationship with God.
Having my grandpa pass away reignited the fears I had about who will take care of me when I am old. This fear was difficult to hand over to God because I feel the world, especially in American culture, often views single people in a negative light. Sadly, I think the American church often glamorizes the nuclear family over the body of Christ, which includes all believers.
Although the concern about who will take care of me when I am old has not entirely gone away, I am learning to trust that God will find a group of friends to care for me when my parents are no longer around. I am happy to say that despite having Asperger Syndrome, I am trying to invest more in my friendships, especially with friends who are single.
God has not only blessed me with a new position at the dental lab that is less stressful than my old position, but I am also in charge of the employee newsletter which puts my writing skills to use. Also, I have a side job as a freelance writer with a couple of publications, including a regular gig with a magazine associated with the Rural Electrical Co-op Association in the state of Alabama, where I live.
More importantly, I am taking charge of my spiritual growth by learning to listen to God’s voice. Right now I am in the middle of a 30-day Psalm and Proverbs challenge where I allow God to speak to me through words that jump out in that particular passage and having God help me put those words together to reveal God's will in my life.
People with Asperger’s often receive negative feedback from society. As a result, the person with Asperger’s often becomes jaded. God has challenged me to think more positively by learning to speak positively in other people’s lives. Although it has not been easy, I feel more hopeful now than when I first wrote today’s devotional.
Anxiety is a side effect of Asperger’s and has always been a problem for me. Although I still struggle with anxious thoughts, I know that God is looking out for me. God knows that the idea of getting married and having kids is overwhelming to me. God knows what I need right now and is trying to teach me to not worry about the future.
Although I am what Hebrews 5:13 describes as a “babe in Christ,” others in my church have told me I have grown since I started attending. However, this particular credit does not go to me but to Christ and what he did on the cross. That salvation and Jesus’ finished work are better than any girlfriend, wife, or children for me.
I have borne you from birth,
carried you since the womb.
4 Till your old age I will be the same —
I will carry you until your hair is white.
I have made you, and I will bear you;
yes, I will carry and save you. (Complete Jewish Bible).
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: As a Christian, I am part of the family of Christ.
PRAYER FOCUS: Those who are single
READ MORE: More From Aaron Tanner
More From Aaron Tanner BY AARON TANNER (ALABAMA)
RELATED DEVOTIONALS: A FAMILY FOR EVERYONE
When I set out to write a devotional for The Upper Room, I was not in a great place. My grandpa, who I was close to, passed away during this time and I was not only struggling at my job but also with my relationship with God.
Having my grandpa pass away reignited the fears I had about who will take care of me when I am old. This fear was difficult to hand over to God because I feel the world, especially in American culture, often views single people in a negative light. Sadly, I think the American church often glamorizes the nuclear family over the body of Christ, which includes all believers.
Although the concern about who will take care of me when I am old has not entirely gone away, I am learning to trust that God will find a group of friends to care for me when my parents are no longer around. I am happy to say that despite having Asperger Syndrome, I am trying to invest more in my friendships, especially with friends who are single.
God has not only blessed me with a new position at the dental lab that is less stressful than my old position, but I am also in charge of the employee newsletter which puts my writing skills to use. Also, I have a side job as a freelance writer with a couple of publications, including a regular gig with a magazine associated with the Rural Electrical Co-op Association in the state of Alabama, where I live.
More importantly, I am taking charge of my spiritual growth by learning to listen to God’s voice. Right now I am in the middle of a 30-day Psalm and Proverbs challenge where I allow God to speak to me through words that jump out in that particular passage and having God help me put those words together to reveal God's will in my life.
People with Asperger’s often receive negative feedback from society. As a result, the person with Asperger’s often becomes jaded. God has challenged me to think more positively by learning to speak positively in other people’s lives. Although it has not been easy, I feel more hopeful now than when I first wrote today’s devotional.
Anxiety is a side effect of Asperger’s and has always been a problem for me. Although I still struggle with anxious thoughts, I know that God is looking out for me. God knows that the idea of getting married and having kids is overwhelming to me. God knows what I need right now and is trying to teach me to not worry about the future.
Although I am what Hebrews 5:13 describes as a “babe in Christ,” others in my church have told me I have grown since I started attending. However, this particular credit does not go to me but to Christ and what he did on the cross. That salvation and Jesus’ finished work are better than any girlfriend, wife, or children for me.
The Upper Room
1908 Grand Avenue
Nashville, Tennessee 37212, United States
© Copyright 2018 The Upper Room
***
No comments:
Post a Comment