Genesis 17

Good parents love their children. They want what’s best for their children. They want to see their children succeed. They want to see the children accomplish great things. They want to be able to look at their children’s lives with pride. Abram, now named Abraham by God, was a good parent. God had told him Sarai, now named Sarah by God, was going to bear him a son to be named Isaac. God’s covenant with Abraham was to be established through Isaac as an everlasting covenant.

Abraham was already a father. His son Ishmael was 13 years old, and Abraham loved him very much. He wanted the very best for Ishmael. He would love Isaac as well once he was born, but Ishmael was alive now. Abraham ask God to reconsider, after all shouldn’t the eldest son be the heir of the covenant?

As a father it’s been difficult for me to watch my middle daughter struggle with autism and developmental issues. It seems the rest of my family and even my friends recognize the reality of the situation before I did. I’ve come to accept that there are some dreams I had for her that will never be fulfilled. It has hurt a lot. I’ve also recognized that my love for her is unchanged and my most important dreams for her remain the same. I dream that she will have a happy life. I dream that she will know God. I dream that she will find a purpose to commit her life to. I dream that she will find a way to share the blessings God has given her with others. I wish for her to have a generous spirit and a kind personality. I love her and I want her to be blessed.

God tells Abraham that even though Ishmael will never be the heir to the covenant, he will be blessed. God does not love Ishmael less than Isaac. He is going to make Ishmael into a great nation. A good parent loves all their children, and God is a good parent. We are all God’s children, and he loves each and every one of us. Not every child can be Isaac, but every child is blessed by God.