Irony

Irony … Incongruity between the actual result of a sequence of events and the normal or expected result (2) : an event or result marked by such incongruity

I would imagine that life is marked with some sort of irony in each of our lives. The difference…the source of the irony. Reminders present themselves in many forms. Yesterday that reminder came through a guest pastor as he taught through Mark chapter 5 and the man possessed with a legion of demons. His circumstance makes my recent shoulder injury seem rather tiny :) Anyway, Jesus does something miraculous to this man who had been tormented for, literally ‘God knows how long’. Here the man sits for the first time in a long time in “his right mind”. Yet, what was the concern of the town folk? It wasn't for the well-being of the man. And so we come across ‘Irony’! We expect that they should have been amazed that this fellow citizen, likely a friend and brother to someone, had been healed. 

The teaching of yesterday’s ‘irony’ was a reminder of my own. Simply said…my biological father’s role and significance in my life for the most part has left few imprints within this soul. My wife speaks of very similar, if not even less significant, from her father. Yet…when it comes to our family, we have given daily of ourselves. We were there to guide and raise our children together. Whether it was school, church or travel, we provided and attended at every junction of their childhood journey. We loved them dearly and still do. Yet…yes another yet! 

Irony...so yes, it can have its positive result.

Yet, we so very often feel unimportant to our most of our children/grandchildren. Here our fathers gave so little and at times expected so much. We, on the other hand, actually gave, we gave, yet expect little, but not this little. Not so much so as to feel hurt because sometimes our connections are…well, disconnected! We’ll hear of friends whose children are preparing an anniversary celebration for them. Our children…we do not even receive a card or a call. IT’S NOT important to them!

Now if it sounds as if I’m just whining…guess...I am! Perhaps that’s where ‘Irony’ enters in. The expected result would be that we’d have a flourishing relationship with our children and grandchildren. That…is not the case. 

So where do we…do I go from here? The same place I/we have for many years, that is investing our lives into other families, families that actually reciprocate because they appreciate and don’t take for granted. And maybe…just maybe, one day our own family will realize just how meaningful a full relationship with their parents could be.

 If I might add a short postscript not to sound overly critical ... there are times of great care/concern from a couple of our children/grandchildren. For that, we are grateful! Still the irony is that when I look back from those times of their childhood and think what I imagined what the 'NOW' would be...it's not what I imagined...what I expected. And I speak not solely of their relationship with Christ, be it misunderstood.