Flipping Houses and Other Renovations
At one level, we’re all tear-downs…Bob Goff, Live In Grace, Walk In Love
If you’ve watched TV reality shows, you’ll know that the most exciting and fulfilling segment is demo day. Everyone likes the idea of smashing their old cabinets with sledge hammers and tearing out walls for that wide open feeling. The thing is, there’s a lot more to it than slinging heavy chunks of metal at wood and drywall. For starters, is that wall you’re bashing a support wall? Is there power to that wall and have you turned it off? Of course, you say, anyone would think of that….have you really watched these shows?
While renos have been happening all over town, we’ve had a close-up experience right behind us. When we moved here, the home was owned by an acquaintance who subsequently passed away. Two or three families have since rented the home but moved on as quickly as something else became available, because, quite frankly, the home probably should have been a tear-down. We walked through it right after the former owner died and the list of problems was longer than Santa’s Christmas wish list. Our assessment….bulldoze it!
But, little by little, things have been happening. Because the house hasn’t been lived in for a couple of years and there were opportunities throughout that time for critters to find shelter there, I can’t even imagine how many must have taken advantage. It was “fixed up” just enough to be able to get someone to take a chance on renting it. And as each family left, a few cosmetic improvements were made that enticed a new renter. Following the departure of the last family, work began in earnest. Discarded furniture was carried out, carpet was pulled, and all of it burned on a giant bonfire that caught the attention of our volunteer fire department. And then nothing happened for a long while. Occasionally, we’d see a truck or two over there and maybe a big discussion going on, but no forward progress was in evidence.
If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
II Corinthians 5:17
Then one day, I heard a familiar contemporary Christian song drifting on the breeze. A quick search led me to its source, a young man was listening to a Christian station while tearing old siding off the house. He waved and went about his work. Soon new windows were installed and a glance through them revealed bare studs all the way through the once tangled web of rooms. Walls were being removed, floors were bare, wiring and plumbing were obvious by their absence….clearly they were taking that home back to bare bones and starting from scratch. Hopefully someday soon it will make a nice home for someone again. Ultimately, that’s what all these renovations are about.
Have you ever thought that sometimes we humans need to be taken back to a bare bones structure as well. Maybe we’ve forgotten “whose” we are. Maybe life and circumstances have worn us down until we just don’t know where to turn. Maybe we’re way past ready to give up. Are those voices in your head telling you that you’re not worthy?
If the walls of your life are crashing down, maybe God has a renovation in mind.
Bob Goff, Live In Grace, Walk In Love
Just like those tired old homes are given a bright new opportunity to house a growing family, our hearts and minds can also be renewed. And while we should exercise due diligence in our search for the right contractor to restore or renovate our homes, no search is necessary for the One needed to offer spiritual renovation or restoration. He’s right there beside us always waiting for an invitation to come inside. If your soul feels like demo day has taken control, ask Him to rebuild what He created in the first place. He’ll make you brand new again from the inside out.
I can’t. But God can. He doesn’t reform; he restores. He doesn’t camouflage the old; he restores the new. The Master Builder will pull out the original plan and restore it. He will restore the vigor. He will restore the energy. He will restore the hope. He will restore the soul.
Max Lucado, Grace for the Moment Volume I
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Letting Go
God doesn’t force us to go places we don’t want to go and no matter which way we turn, we’ll find him already there if we’re looking. Bob Goff, Live In Grace, Walk In Love
We recently got together with a portion of our family for some reconnecting. We were pretty shocked to learn that our youngest grandson now resembles a man rather than the boy we remembered (we hadn’t seen him in a while) and our only granddaughter, the thirteen-year-old who typically wants to steal the show and believes she knows just about everything, was actually willing to share the spotlight with her cousin.
Our son, and all but one of his family, were in from Texas. They spent some time with our older daughter and her family, seeing a Cardinals game, playing cards, laughing and recalling old times. Then they drove to Montauk State Park for some trout fishing and that’s where we caught up with them. Hiking to the springs, sharing dinner, and reminiscing a bit felt really good. I enjoyed watching my crew walk together, each one wandering back and forth between family members and getting re-acquainted. It was a great day.
After each of Joe’s family had caught at least one trout, they settled in for a good nights sleep before heading off to other wonderful natural attractions in the area and then to their last stop before heading home, the University of Missouri campus in Columbia. Joe graduated from Mizzou and would love to see his baby boy choose to go there as well. Quinn was impressed with the campus but insists that the school he eventually attends will have to come up with a pretty sweet baseball scholarship and he has a few more months to go before recruiters can approach him officially. He’s really good, and that’s not just Grandma’s opinion.
On the other hand, our older daughter’s son, Kannon, received a great scholarship to Mizzou for his pole vaulting skills. He’ll participate in their decathlete program and has a difficult learning curve ahead because he’s not competed in about half the events. But he’s a tough, all-around athlete so I have every confidence in his ability to succeed. The really nice caveat to both stories is that the boys are really good, dedicated students. Each is capable of extra scholarship awards for their academic credentials.
Two young men, one heading off to college and the other involved in the selection process, and parents who are anxious for their sons to begin this new phase of life but concerned about their response to the culture that will try to tempt them to be untrue to themselves. And I can tell you, this Grandma is plenty concerned for their safety in this crazy world we live in.
Parents everywhere will be saying goodbye to adult children heading off to college dorms or apartments. Life will change dramatically for both parent and child. The daily contact will be replaced by phone calls, text messages and visits on weekends and holidays. The transition can be difficult unless we keep in mind:
Our children are ours, and not ours. We guide them, we don’t control them. We cannot save them from the world and certainly not from outrageous fortune. We try to help where we can, including savoring their successes, but we can only do so much. Then we do what parents have done since time began: we pray. Mark Collins, Walking in Grace 2024
We’ve raised them to be independent beings, always in the knowledge that they were only on loan to us for a while. Imagine that, God trusted us with His own creation and now it’s time to let them fly.
Kannon heads out to Mizzou early to train for his track and field events, so I texted him a few days ago, texting being the chosen method of communication with our grandchildren, and offered him a few pearls of Grandma wisdom. They seem appropriate here as well….feel free to share them with your students:
- Remember to choose your friends wisely & especially remember that Jesus is your best friend.
- Be true to yourself & don’t let others talk you into things you don’t want to do.
- Always do the best you can whether in your studies or other endeavors. No one can ask more of you than your best.
- Be kind, be safe & have fun. And always know that you have the strong support of family & friends back home who love you.
Lord, You love us as Your children, have mercy on us as parents (and Grandparents)—imperfect vessels of Your perfect love. Mark Collins, Walking In Grace 2024
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I’m Trying, Lord, I Really Am
This past Sunday morning we were cruising down a back road toward church and I was babbling on about someone who just needed to make some adjustments to the way they’re doing things. After all, I probably know more about the issues they’re facing than they do, don’t I?
And suddenly, a tiny voice inside my head said, “Mind your own business, Marcy.” Really, Lord? I’m older, I have much more experience and, obviously, I know more about how they should live their lives than they do.
And, like a flash of lightening, I recalled that just a couple of weeks ago, pastor Dennis used that less than pleasant phrase, mind your own business, in his sermon. What’s more, he claimed it was in the Bible. It got a pretty good chuckle out of the congregation, myself included, and then it escaped my mind as quickly as it had entered. That is, until the next morning.
You may recall my writing about a sudden Sunday morning power outage which caused some detours in my usual routine. I always read my devotionals on my iPad, and that works fine, even when our electrical sources fail, because they’re downloaded, no internet required. My verse of the day, however, is delivered by e-mail and it hadn’t reached my iPad. I gave it no more thought and continued stumbling along without power, forgetting completely that my phone had a signal.
The next morning, when my e-mail came up, the previous day’s verse popped up also and what do you suppose it said?
“Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business…” I Thessalonians 4:11a.
Apparently, I needed a reminder. In recent days…OK it was weeks, I’d been covertly critical of family members and neighbors about some of their habits. At least, I had the good sense not to let my thoughts take voice, except for a few minor infractions, but who am I kidding. Our God knows every thought, no matter how fleeting, that crosses our minds. And those thoughts hurt Him just as badly as our spoken words and misplaced actions.
I encountered Pastor Dennis in the Commons area on Sunday morning and shared the whole story with him and we exclaimed, once again, how our topics are so often the same, though this time I was a little slow on the upload. We had a good laugh at our own expense, and I moved on into the sanctuary for the last service.
But the thought kept nagging at me…I had been mentally hard on those around me in recent weeks. When Pastor Sarah prayed before serving Communion, she touched my heart, and I knew it was time for me to bring this bad habit of mine before the Lord. I needed to lay this burden on His altar and leave it there, but then, there’s my other bad habit. That one would be picking up those worries I leave behind and stewing over them some more. I know better, but I can’t seem to do better. I’m trying, Lord, I really am!
So, when you finish reading, I’d like to ask a favor of you. Would you please pray for me. I need all the help I can muster to curb these nasty habits and leave them where they belong….in the very capable hands of my Lord.
Thank you, Lord, that while I grow and make mistakes, you will always remind me that, of course, you still love me. Nicole Garcia, Walking in Grace 2024
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Reaching the Redeemable
As a mostly self-taught artist, I’ve spent significant time studying works of a variety of different types of artists, and it has become obvious that the mind can use the hand to create many different emotions with just a few pen or brushstrokes. A painting or drawing can display anger, or it can express joy. It can evoke disgust or cause a giggle to erupt. Through the lens of these visual snapshots, we can learn much about the artist. Is this person one who thrives on controversy or one who is led “beside peaceful streams?”
With God in your world, you aren’t an accident or an incident; you are a gift to the world, a divine work of art, signed by God. Max Lucado, In the Grip of Grace
And just as an artist can evoke countless emotions in a visual image, so can a few well-placed instigators among a crowd create a wave of dissent using just a couple of taunts. Soon those nearby are joining the chant and in very short order, the entire crowd is whipped into a frenzy. As the instigators steal away under cover, the mob grows and grows until there is no controlling it. It happened in Jerusalem to Jesus. It can happen anytime, anywhere with a minimum of planning and provocation.
Most of the crowd is probably made up of hard-working ordinary people who get carried away in the moment. Many didn’t come to that place or that time to find themselves in danger from law enforcement or elements of the crowd. And everyone of them is redeemable if they choose to be. You read that right…if they choose.
The best example I know of radical change is the Apostle Paul. By his own admission, he was one of the most aggressive persecutors of Christians in his day and yet after being overwhelmed by a light so bright that it brought him to his knees and left him blind, he heard the voice of Jesus and turned his life around. We all have that choice. Our encounter with Jesus may not reach the level of Paul’s but there will be a time of reckoning for each of us. Some will never accept the Word of God because they choose not to, but others are redeemable just like Paul. Our job is to stand up and, as Pastors Dennis and Sarah are telling us each Sunday this summer, act out the truths we hold dear regarding the reality of the need for Jesus in this hurting world.
What makes us special is…the signature of God on our lives. We are His works of art. We are created in his image to do good deeds. We are significant, not because of what we do, but because of whose we are. Max Lucado, In the Grip of Grace.
Sunday morning, a phrase in Pastor Sarah’s opening prayer really caught my attention. I can’t quote her exactly but it essentially said we all need to fall on our knees asking for redemption before we can raise our hands in praise to God. Paul was our example and I can think of no better one to follow.
Back in 1965, the writing team of Burt Bacharach and Hal David put together a song that became a top-ten hit. Bacharach, however, was uncertain about the timing because we were in the midst of a culture struggle over differences of opinion regarding the war in Vietnam. Oddly enough, that environment softened a bit with the leading words to their song: What the world needs now is love sweet love …. It’s the only thing that there’s just too little of.
A truer statement was never made. And the word love finds its most profound meaning in the name of Jesus.
We are tasked with bringing a little Jesus into the lives of everyone we encounter, our words and actions should reflect His image. Some may see H is light and come to redemption, others may not. We can encourage an environment of love and grace, but they will have to choose, and eternity is a very long time.
For the Lord is the spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom…And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image. II Corinthians 3:17-18
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Uncertainty Breeds Opportunity
If We Let it
I awoke with a start to total silence, disoriented for a moment, then I heard our neighbor’s generator kick in and I knew….our power was out! A dozen snapshots flashed through my brain in an instant. Why is this happening now rather than during our storm of a few days ago! How long will it last? It’s Sunday morning and we need to get ready for church. But I can’t see a thing in my bathroom. I need the battery powered lanterns. And the hair dryer won’t work! It’s best to grab breakfast at a fast-food restaurant on our way, rather than opening our refrigerator. Did some foreign power hack our system? OK…maybe that’s a little “out there” but in our current world it is certainly not beyond the realm of possibility.
We want certainty, but the only certainty is the lack thereof. Max Lucado
Let’s face it, we all have a tendency to want or need to control everything around us. I’m one of the worst, but I’m here to tell you that there is an order to this world that is always controlled by God. We can often convince ourselves that we did it our way, but if we’re honest, we didn’t.
We can’t take control, because control is not ours to take. Max Lucado
I recently referred to my journey in writing as having begun on a very structured plane. I tended to work several weeks ahead and that may have been a carry-over from my advertising days when everything was accomplished on deadlines set weeks or months earlier. Lists and outlines were the meat of my playbook in those days. There was lots of advance prep for holidays or special events and that still holds true. I can’t ignore Lent or Advent, but I must admit to overlooking some of the one-day holidays now that I’ve adopted a new and more spontaneous approach to writing.
The thing is that when I adhere to a strict calendar of events, I may miss opportunities to hear the Lord whisper new ideas or challenges, ones that may be relevant to someone out there I don’t even know. Maybe someone needs to hear a particular message. Maybe another needs comfort or perhaps even courage. If I constantly rely on my organized thoughts, I may walk right past a road sign pointing me in a new direction God chose for me, one that may be more meaningful or exciting.
The simple truth is that a novelist doesn’t know how a story will end when it’s just beginning. Characters are developed, a setting is determined, an opening scene sets the wheels in motion, but the story develops in stages and builds to a surprising climax if well written. In essence, the same is true with a short article. It may stem from just a few words expressed by a friend, the pastor offering a sermon, or a deeply moving song lyric. Those words blossom into an idea that when given enough freedom and solid traction, can take off on a journey the writer never imagined in the beginning. And like the writer, we just have to open our minds to letting go of the uncertainties in our lives and accepting the fresh opportunities.
Don’t let an unknown ending keep you from beginning….uncertainty is God’s way of inviting us to join Him. Bob Goff, Live in Grace, Walk in Love
Oh, and that power outage I mentioned gave me time to wander out to the deck on a beautiful morning, with none of my devices, and soak in my surroundings. The sun provided just the right temperature, the flowers showed off their colors and swayed gently in the breeze. The birds were singing, a squirrel chattered, some bunnies hopped (our back yard has become a wildlife sanctuary since the huge dog behind us left), and it couldn’t have been a more perfect start to the day. An hour later, silence once again caught my attention. The generators were off, I glanced inside and saw fan blades whirling on my living room ceiling. My respite ended and life was back to normal. I’m glad I didn’t miss my opportunity to revel in the incredible beauty of God’s creations by clinging to my uncertainty of a little thing called electrical power.
My eyes are fixed on you, Sovereign Lord; in you I take refuge. Psalm 141:8
(All Lucado quotes are taken from Anxious for Nothing and reprinted in You Can Count on God.)
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What’s in a Name
Creator God, You “call us by name, and we are Yours.” Ken Sampson, Walking In Grace 2024
Some years back we attended a much smaller church than today, one where everyone knows just about everyone else. I recall a short story from that church that has left a large impact on my life. It reached my ears from the Sunday School teacher who had asked each of her students who was their favorite adult in our church. One girl had indicated that I was her favorite. I was quite surprised because I’d had little interaction with her but also because she didn’t live in our town. Her mom had grown up there but then moved away as an adult. So the girl didn’t attend school with any of the church kids but her family came back to Grandma’s church on Sundays. I could always see that felt a little like she was on the outside trying to fit in.
My puzzled expression brought a quick explanation from the teacher. This lovely young girl liked me because I knew her name and called her by it whenever I saw her. It was as simple as a name.
Recalling names has always been easy for me, except now that I’m getting to that “senior moment” stage. Throughout the years when I worked, I was always in the position of needing to call people by name. It made my work a lot easier and the people I encountered regularly appreciated being recognized. My mental Rolodex (contacts folder) was extensive. It even went so far as voice recognition, so learning the names of all the kids in our small church was a no-brainer. I just had never realized how much it would mean to this one girl.
Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are mine. Isaiah 43:1b
There are countless voices in our culture today that are clamoring for our attention and that of our children. Who do you want your children to hear? The pedophile who roams the internet in search of prey? The human trafficker lying in wait on the dark street corner? The drug dealer who might just slip something into a soda in the hope of gaining a regular customer? The kid around school who always has great ideas about how to have fun? The passengers in their car who dare them to go beyond the speed limit or do some crazy stunt with the car? The rock singer whose lyrics teach hate? I could go on and on, but I think you likely get the message. Wouldn’t you rather your kids hear the whisper of God offered through people of faith?
Jesus whispers (your name), the world screams. Which do you hear? Max Lucado
And which voices does your child hear? But, lest we forget, kids are not the only people who respond to name recognition. Adults are equally pleased when we take the time to notice who they are rather than what they are.
So, what’s in a name? Well, ask yourself that the next time your server says, “My name is _____ and I’ll be taking care of you today. Memorize that name, at least for the duration of your meal. Use it often and by the time your check is delivered, you’ll find you’ve made a new friend, one you may never see again, but your effort to know that person, even a little, may have been just the lift he or she needed.
When a cranky store clerk or a stressed-out fellow business conference attendee wears a name badge, make note of their name and strike up a conversation. These may not be long term relationships, but you never know who may have needed some positive re-enforcement at that moment when you chose to recognize their humanity.
And when you have a kid encounter, make a point of asking for a name, then memorize it so that when your next encounter happens, you can begin the conversation by addressing him or her properly. Watch out, you’re likely to be rewarded with a great, big smile.
Most importantly, God never forgets any of our names. He has them all written on His heart and He never, ever forgets one of His children.
God calls out our names. Listen for His voice and be like it too. Speak of love and beauty, trust and acceptance, grace and forgiveness—and you’ll be the voice people are longing to hear. Bob Goff, Live in Grace, Walk in Love
What kind of voice are you in the lives of those you encounter?
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The Power of Three
For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them. Matthew 18:20
I was twenty-eight years old and seven months pregnant when we lost my dad. It was heartbreaking to realize he’d never see his new granddaughter and she would never know the love he would have showered on her. Just as heartbreaking was hearing my mom lamenting that she would most miss the long talks the two of them shared in the evenings. It stands to reason that she would search for something to fill those lonely evenings when she came home from the busyness of her secretarial job to a much too quiet house, and one that likely didn’t feel much like home anymore.
She found her answer at her church by joining a quilting group, whose members welcomed her with open arms. Though she’d never made a quilt in her life, it was a natural fit. During my childhood years, she had made all my clothing and she did it on an old-fashioned treadle sewing machine. Many of you may be unfamiliar, but the machine is foot-powered by a swinging treadle near the floor, which transfers the energy by belt to a wheel near the top of the machine. There’s a certain rhythm to the process that I could never master, but mom, on the other hand, couldn’t make the transition to an electric machine. As I grew up, she grew away from sewing,
But it’s much like riding a bike. The skills you develop lie dormant somewhere in the back of your memory until one day you call them up again; think of it as downloading a folder from the cloud. Even when Mom used her treadle machine, there was a certain amount of the prep and finish work that was accomplished by hand. There was a lot of patching done in those days, as well, so she was no stranger to needle, thread, pin cushion, and thimble. She felt right at home cutting colorful patches from all kinds of leftover fabric, outgrown clothing filled with memories, or combinations of new fabrics, and then hand stitching them together to create dazzling patterns. Her first experiments were small items such as potholders or wall hangings, but eventually she was making full sized quilts, and they were lovely. I still have several and others are scattered among family members.
Think about the anatomy, if you will, of a quilt. It begins with a top that is artistically pieced to enhance the chosen color palette and an intricate design. Under the completed cover goes a lofty batting, today’s choice is polyester, that provides lift as well as warmth on a cold winter night. Lastly, the quilter adds a backing that is color coordinated to the pieces in the top design. Ideally, the three layers are then attached to a wooden frame where they can be stretched and held tautly while a group of quilters gathers round the frame to add tiny hand stitches in a specific pattern throughout the quilt. The quilting pattern adds stability to the filler and another layer of creativity to the overall appearance. The more stitches a quilter can place onto her needle at once is a good indicator of her (or his) expertise. Obviously, the quilters must be in tune with one another to avoid making mistakes.
Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. Ecclesiastes 4:12
The strength, comfort, and utility of a quilt can be used to illustrate The Holy Trinity. Just as the quilt gains its qualities from its three layers, so The Holy Trinity provides for us from three sources. God the Father, Jesus the son, and The Holy Spirit embody everything we need to live life in the way we were created to live. There is always strength in numbers, whether in reference to a rope made of multiple strands twisted together or the people in our lives who support us when we stumble and things get tough. Having an extra level or layer of strength makes any job or trial easier and we can rest assured the Father, Son and Holy Spirit never leave our side. Just as those women in my mom’s quilting circle propped her up when she needed a new spark in her life, so can your church family help you through difficult times. The church is the living hands and feet of The Holy Trinity.
The strings that tie us to the people we love are the ropes that pull us up when life gets hard.
The most beautiful view in the world is the sight of the faces who show up for you no matter what.
Bob Goff, Live In Grace, Walk In Love
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The Fixers in Our Lives
A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him. Matthew 12:35
As I write, it is Father’s Day and I’m listening to Ken and our son on the phone, laughing and having a great time together. It warms my heart to hear them. I must confess, I managed to let Father’s Day sneak up on me this year and neglected to honor the dads in our lives last week. But there’s no rule against celebrating fathers every day so this will be my Father’s Day tribute, albeit a few days late.
My birth came near the end of World War II, so my parents had recently experienced the pressures of wartime but also the often desperate days of the Great Depression. Times were lean for many families then and ours was no different. But my dad was a hard worker and dedicated to providing what he could for us. Life was just so different in those days. Kids didn’t wear name-brand clothing or belong to elite sports teams or travel throughout the country to keep up with their chosen interests. My family lived in a small town and experienced a pretty quiet life by today’s standards. Dad kept very busy trying to feed, clothe, and shelter the three of us, but he took time every weekend during the summer months to sit on the front porch and share the Cardinal baseball games on the radio with me. He loved those Cardinals and we made a few treks to St Louis to watch them in person from the highest seats in the stadium. General admission didn’t give us the best view but the thrill of being at the park was good enough. My dad loved kids and he loved being a grandpa. We lost him too early. He was only sixty seven when he went to heaven and I still miss him. There are so many things I wish I’d said to him. Like many of us, I didn’t appreciate him enough when I still had the chance to show him.
Fast forward to today and I have been blessed to share over forty years with my guy who just happens to be the greatest dad, not only to our kids and grands but also to countless others who have shared time with him in one way or another. He’s been dubbed a kid magnet and the Pied Piper because kids are just drawn to him. It may have something to do with the fact that he’s an overgrown kid himself, but it’s so much more. He has an uncanny ability to understand the inner workings of the young mind. And his patience with them is seemingly unlimited. They come to his garage with flat bicycle tires or a chain off its sprocket and they ride away happily on inflated tires or with a re-seated chain. They’re just little things but they mean so much to the kids. He loans them the tools they need to complete their projects and instructs them when needed. He answers a multitude of questions. He spent decades in Boy Scouts, learning as a scout himself and then leading others in survival skills and the rules for living life by celebrating God, family & country. He’s mentored groups and individual kids, always with a positive attitude. In his eyes, every kid is a good kid or has the potential to be.
And isn’t that just like our God? He sees every one of us as His redeemable kids. We may try to shortchange him but He always knows. We lie to him as kids tend to do at times, but He catches us in every single one. He watches us take paths He wouldn’t have chosen for us, but He always hopes we will come back to Him. His patience with us is seemingly limitless. He trains and teaches and, sometimes, prunes off a part of us that wasn’t to his liking. It’s what a Father does.
The Lord is like a father to his children….Psalm 103:13
On Sunday, we texted the young fathers in our family to thank them for being the men they are as they lead their kids. Like I said earlier, life is different than when I was a kid. Back then, we made cards for our dads….today we send texts to a younger generation of dads. But the point is that we need to tell them we appreciate what they’ve done and are doing. They need to know that their efforts do not go un-noticed. Are they perfect? Certainly not. They’re human. But they are doing what they can to help their kids, our grandkids, become the people they were intended to be.
Probably the biggest role in a father’s life is to be the “fixer” and my guy has certainly lived up to that role. Dads are there to fix things physically and emotionally. But there are some things that only God can fix and no matter how much our kids have an opportunity to learn from their earthly fathers, they ultimately grow up and often grow away. That’s when earthly fathers must trust in their connection to their heavenly father to be the “Fixer” in their kids lives. That’s no easy task and we all know it. But it is the truth. Our heavenly Father can fix anything.
Happy belated Father’s Day to all you dads. Keep at it…you may still be able to help your kids arrive at perfection! We’re still working on ours. They, like all of us, are a continuous work in progress!
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Here I Am Lord
I recently shared with you my personal celebration of the fourth anniversary of Gatepost Weekly which Casey has grown into an amazing communication tool, but I didn’t share my journey as a writer during these four plus years. In the beginning, I supposed it would be a bridge keeping us connected as a Christian family throughout an epidemic that crippled our world and has changed it in so many ways. I’m sure I never thought I’d still be doing what I’m doing, but it gave me a challenge during those very trying months of isolation. At that time, I planned ahead quite a bit, putting together several series that required a lot of research. In short, I depended on myself.
At some point, I’m not sure when, I stopped trying to plan and started listening and watching for tiny threads that could become an actual story, of sorts. There are clues all around us if we make the effort to be observant and I needed to start using all my senses to absorb any nudges, as I like to think of them, that might relay a message that needed to be shared.
Sometimes those threads began weaving an idea during a sermon, sometimes a particular praise song touched me. Then there were times when a friend of mine would simply drop a comment in passing that seemed to need more clarification. Yet again, there were times when strangers whose perspectives differed greatly from mine provided the material for a meaningful discussion. The words of another writer might birth the seed for an important topic and, of course, scripture always provides incredible insights.
And more often than you may realize, Pastor Dennis and I had been working on the same message in a given week, sometimes from the same perspective and sometimes opposite positions. A few months into writing for the Gatepost Weekly, I began to realize that my line of communication with the Lord had strengthened. I was depending on Him to provide the meat of what I would write. I stopped pushing myself to beat my deadline and just let God do what he does best…he guides us. But here’s the thing…we have to choose to listen.
The Lord replied, “I’ll go myself, and I’ll help you.” Exodus 33:14 CEB
This scripture was the verse of the day on YouVersion one day last week, and it obviously was meant for Moses, when God made known his demand that Moses lead God’s people, Moses’ people, out of slavery and into the Promised Land. I dug a little deeper into Exodus to find some context and it became clear that it’s a message meant for all of us.
Each of us was created long ago for a unique purpose and it can be easy to overlook or to ignore, but if we search our hearts and discover whatever it is that we do well, we will be on the journey of discovering our purpose. We needn’t waste time trying to adapt to someone else’s unique qualities, we weren’t created to mimic anyone else. We are asked to utilize the skills or talents we are given to encourage others to know that they are loved as God’s own children just as we are.
You may not see helping neighbors with maintenance chores as being a gift or talent, but it is. Just because you really should reserve your less than stellar singing voice for the shower shouldn’t prevent you from inviting a new acquaintance to church for some uplifting praise and worship music. Your ability to reach out to a stranger in need of a hug may just be a normal part of your daily routine, but it’s a gift that many of us just don’t have. If you enjoy indulging in the culinary arts and share the rewards with a busy working mom or dad, that’s a gift much appreciated. And if you share a few moments of your busy day with the kids in your neighborhood, you’ll impact their very impressionable lives more than you may ever know.
We tend to view personality traits that help others as being skills beyond our reach. They aren’t. The best gifts of all are the little things we do for each other, the things we take for granted. But the receivers of those gifts of kindness see them as much more. If you haven’t already found your talent or special skill, make an effort to do so. Maybe you’re ready to explore a newly discovered gift. Dive right in! As little children we mimic our parents to learn important life skills. But we reach a level of maturity that demands we not mimic others; we must stand tall in our own shoes. Don’t concern yourself with being like your best friend. Be yourself. God will go with you, and he will help you.
The world doesn’t need another copy of someone else, the world needs you. Bob Goff, Live in Grace, Walk in Love
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