Dear Levi from your Daddy
Today is the due date for Levi Lockey Hudson. Unfortunately he is not on our schedule. We are on his. So he has not officially arrived yet. I've been thinking about his arrival and had a few thoughts I wanted to share with him.
Dear Levi:
You are a product of grace
One day when you get older you will hear a story of grace and redemption that led to this moment in time when you became a part of our family. You are a gift from a gracious God who heals, restores, and redeems. God has given us the privilege of being your parents for one simple reason: He is a good Father.
Your mommy is the best
Your mommy is my best friend. She is a blessing to those who know her. She is loved by a lot of people. She is sweet, kind, pleasant to be around, encouraging, positive, beautiful, smart, and a ferocious lover of God, your daddy, and our family. You are privileged to have her as a mommy. I will seek to love her in a way that demonstrates for you just how special she is.
You have awesome siblings
You are blessed with 2 sisters and a brother who love each other deeply, who love Jesus, who have incredible hearts, who will demonstrate for you what it means to love, laugh, and enjoy life. They are much older than you which is a blessing because they have years of experience, ups & downs, and life to share with you. Listen to them. Value them. They have walked life's path before you and want what is best for you.
Your home has been redeemed
Some people will call the home in which you have been born a "broken" home. You will not understand what that means for some time. Your siblings have a different mommy than you. They have "step" parents. They do not spend every night in our house but they are a part of our family. You will have some questions as you seek to understand this dynamic. But here is the good news: your home is not broken. It is redeemed. God takes our messes and redeems them for His glory and purposes. Your home is a constant reminder that we serve a God who redeems broken people.
Your daddy needs Jesus
God has chosen me to be your daddy. That makes my heart happy. I promise you that by God's grace I will seek to be the daddy you need. But also know that I am broken and in constant need of that grace. There will be times I make wrong decisions. I sin. I disappoint people. I react. I don't always represent clearly the Jesus we follow. I will need you to forgive me at times. Your daddy needs Jesus and that is good news!
You are loved by a perfect Father
While your daddy will let you down on occasion, you have a Heavenly Father who will never let you down. He loves you more deeply than you will ever know or understand. There will be times that you do not understand His plan. There will be times you walk away from His love for you. There will be times you question His very existence. But even in those moments, He will never leave you nor forsake you. He will pursue you. His grace is relentless. He is quick to forgive and heal and restore. He can be trusted. Rest in Him.
You have a deep heritage of grace
Your story is one of grace. Your very name represents this heritage of grace. Jesus has transformed the Hudson family with His grace. I pray that God's grace will capture your heart from your earliest days. I pray that you rest in who you are in Jesus and what He has done for you. You can't be good enough to earn His grace. You can't be bad enough to be disqualified from His grace. He can never love you any more or less than He does right now. I pray that the gospel of grace becomes your life mantra. Our desire is to model it, teach it, live it, and constantly point you to it.
Welcome to the world Levi Lockey Hudson. You are our gift of grace.
NOW COME ALREADY!!!!
Dear Levi:
You are a product of grace
One day when you get older you will hear a story of grace and redemption that led to this moment in time when you became a part of our family. You are a gift from a gracious God who heals, restores, and redeems. God has given us the privilege of being your parents for one simple reason: He is a good Father.
Your mommy is the best
Your mommy is my best friend. She is a blessing to those who know her. She is loved by a lot of people. She is sweet, kind, pleasant to be around, encouraging, positive, beautiful, smart, and a ferocious lover of God, your daddy, and our family. You are privileged to have her as a mommy. I will seek to love her in a way that demonstrates for you just how special she is.
You have awesome siblings
You are blessed with 2 sisters and a brother who love each other deeply, who love Jesus, who have incredible hearts, who will demonstrate for you what it means to love, laugh, and enjoy life. They are much older than you which is a blessing because they have years of experience, ups & downs, and life to share with you. Listen to them. Value them. They have walked life's path before you and want what is best for you.
Your home has been redeemed
Some people will call the home in which you have been born a "broken" home. You will not understand what that means for some time. Your siblings have a different mommy than you. They have "step" parents. They do not spend every night in our house but they are a part of our family. You will have some questions as you seek to understand this dynamic. But here is the good news: your home is not broken. It is redeemed. God takes our messes and redeems them for His glory and purposes. Your home is a constant reminder that we serve a God who redeems broken people.
Your daddy needs Jesus
God has chosen me to be your daddy. That makes my heart happy. I promise you that by God's grace I will seek to be the daddy you need. But also know that I am broken and in constant need of that grace. There will be times I make wrong decisions. I sin. I disappoint people. I react. I don't always represent clearly the Jesus we follow. I will need you to forgive me at times. Your daddy needs Jesus and that is good news!
You are loved by a perfect Father
While your daddy will let you down on occasion, you have a Heavenly Father who will never let you down. He loves you more deeply than you will ever know or understand. There will be times that you do not understand His plan. There will be times you walk away from His love for you. There will be times you question His very existence. But even in those moments, He will never leave you nor forsake you. He will pursue you. His grace is relentless. He is quick to forgive and heal and restore. He can be trusted. Rest in Him.
You have a deep heritage of grace
Your story is one of grace. Your very name represents this heritage of grace. Jesus has transformed the Hudson family with His grace. I pray that God's grace will capture your heart from your earliest days. I pray that you rest in who you are in Jesus and what He has done for you. You can't be good enough to earn His grace. You can't be bad enough to be disqualified from His grace. He can never love you any more or less than He does right now. I pray that the gospel of grace becomes your life mantra. Our desire is to model it, teach it, live it, and constantly point you to it.
Welcome to the world Levi Lockey Hudson. You are our gift of grace.
NOW COME ALREADY!!!!