In a few short days, I have returned home from a trip to South Africa that I will never forget, and held my wife’s hand as she gave birth to our second son! Needless to say, I am a blessed man!
My trip to Africa helped to “re-discover” a world that so desperately needs the gospel. I saw a country of almost two completely separate worlds; the one of wealth and comfort, the other of poverty unknown to what we consider as such in the United States. I was able to preach to churches in these townships to a people that literally gave their “widow’s mite” each and every week because they love Jesus! I was able to teach young men that were not just hungry for a bag of potato chips and a coke, but hungry for God’s word! God used such a class to see two young men make professions of faith in Jesus Christ for salvation. I am still on the mountain top, and praising Jesus for that experience.
Yesterday, I was blessed to meet Eli Caleb Underwood for the first time! I have known him as my son for the past eight months (when I found out we were expecting), and loved him from that very day. I am overjoyed that God would allow me such a great responsibility as to raise sons to honor and serve Him!
As I reflect on the last few days, I ask God to continue doing a work in my life and the life of my family. I ask Him to help me teach my sons His ways, to love others, and to carry His gospel into all the world! I pray that Peyton and Eli will be saved at a young age, serve the Lord with their lives, that they will see it exemplified in their father. I pray that mine and Ashlee’s marriage will grow stronger each day, and that my sons will too find help meets one day to serve with them in their ministries.
I jokingly have said that with “Peyton and Eli,” I’ll get a Superbowl ring out of one of them. The truth is that if they will love Jesus and serve Him, I will have no greater reward as a father. It has been said that your children should be your greatest disciples. I pray and commit today that this will be a reality for me and my sons! In a few short days, God has shown me that I have been entrusted with more than just a mediocre life, and I would be a fool to waste it.
Stephen Underwood
Acts 20:24
stephenunderwood.net
Leave a Reply