I am a huge fan of "screen time". Sad to say that in our current society this typically means watching movies, sitting in front of a computer or trying to carry on a conversation with one person while texting to another simultaneously. The kind of "screen time" I am referring to started in my home right after we moved into our new house five years ago. I didn't pick out much in the new house, but I did request a screened in porch as well as screens in EVERY window of the house. My kind of "screen time" usually takes place every spring and autumn when the temperatures are just right. My girls will come to me, the great meteorologist, at bedtime and ask if it is an "open window" night. They love sleeping with their windows open and hearing the sound of crickets or of cars passing.
On one such evening I was making the usual nightly rounds from one daughter's room to the next and plopping myself on the bed trying to answer all of life's most difficult questions. I still don't know how water towers work, but I gave an impressive answer. I may not see the sense in learning the metric system, but I still told them that we wouldn't be skipping that lesson. I gave some very good answers on my first three stops, and felt confident that # 4 would go smoothly. This daughter's room faces the north side of the house and the cool breezes were so refreshing. I found her with arms folded up on the window sill with her face smushed right into the screen soaking up as much fresh air as possible. It looked fun to me so I joined her in a smushed screen face contest. As we stared out at the front yard I asked if there was anything she wanted to talk about. I was prepared for a Miley Cyrus trivia question or maybe a joke from her new book, but I was NOT prepared for the question I got.
She looked at me with such a serious face and said, "Dad, do you ever wonder what your purpose in life is"? My brain shifted into overdrive. In my mind I am thinking, "Are you kidding me? This is what you are thinking about at bedtime"?? I took a deep breath to buy some time and then prayed one of those incredibly fast prayers like,"OhDearLordPleaseHelpMeAnswerThisQuestionCorrectlySoAsNotToScarMyChildForLife"!!!!
I asked her why she was wondering about this and she said that she felt like she was the only one in the family without a purpose. She began to go through the other five members of our family and tell me her perceptions of what they do well and how it was of service to others. She just didn't feel like she had anything to offer.
I was sad at first as I listened, but then I realized that God was giving me a wonderful opportunity at the end of the day to AFFIRM my daughter. I don't have any sons, but I do know that girls need affirmation and as a Dad I am highly qualified for this job. I first shared with her how proud I was of the fact that she was 7 years old and searching for purpose in her life. I confessed that I never really considered such things until much later in life and always felt like I wasted so many years just coasting through each day with no real direction. I then began to speak words of encouragement over this girl of mine and telling her all of the things that SHE does well. As I began to rattle off my long list I could instantly see a transformation in her countenance. She had gone from a somber, serious face to a smiling more relaxed look. I quickly realized the power of encouraging words and vowed to not only begin to find the positives in my kids, but also to TELL THEM to their faces. Furthermore, I explained to her that the gifts she has are God-given specifically for her to realize her purpose in life. She doesn't ever have to worry about not having one of her sister's talents because she doesn't have the same things to accomplish in life as they do.
Life seemed to all make sense in that moment. I went to my bedroom that night and opened the window. Before I fell asleep I moved as close to the screen as possible and began thanking God for my precious children who on this day taught me an important lesson. I asked for His forgiveness for not spending enough time searching for my daily purpose in this life. I fell asleep with a cool breeze on my face and the peace in my heart of knowing that tomorrow was a new day to accomplish all that God has in store. That's MY kind of "screen time"!
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
The Can
"Let's do it", I said with a crazed look in my eyes. Thanksgiving was just around the corner and my wife and I had just decided to go spend the holiday with some of my family just south of Nashville. This wasn't the crazy part though. We then decided that on the most crowded shopping day of the year, which just happens to be the day AFTER Thanksgiving, we would venture to the Opry Mills Mall with our four small girls. If we were still alive we would then go see the Christmas lights at Opryland Hotel. "It will be fun", I muttered to myself. I figured if I kept preparing for the absolute worst experience of my life then anything would be an improvement.
Thanksgiving Day was great although we grew a bit weary of answering the same question over and over again. "Now why on earth would you want to go shopping at that mall on the busiest day of the year"? That question rang in my ears all night, but the following day found us working our way through loads of traffic, followed by several laps around the parking lot waiting for that person walking slowly to their car looking beat up from the crowds. I'll have to be honest in saying that our shopping experience went quite well, and the girls were quickly transitioning into Christmas mode. By late afternoon I was ready to try and beat the traffic to Opryland for the lights. Yes!! I found a back way out of the mall and was able to get in front of the line for the lights. As we pulled in I saw a sign saying, 12 DOLLARS CASH ONLY. I was stunned that they were charging everyone to wander through the hotel, but then my stomach knotted as I realized that I had NO CASH. I NEVER have cash anymore in this debit card society. Who has CASH???? I begin to groan as I see cars lined up behind me waiting. I was just about to leave the line and go in search of an ATM machine when I heard the sweet voice of my oldest daughter exclaim, "I have twelve dollars"!! "You're kidding. How do YOU have twelve dollars", I asked. The girl had saved her chore money and brought her purse on the trip because she knew we were going shopping. Twelve dollars was ALL she had and she happily passed it forward. I gleefully handed it to the attendant and we went right on in.
As the night wore on I kept thinking about my daughter's sacrifice which ushered us into a wonderful family night at Opryland. I still have so many great memories of that trip, but her sacrifice will always stand out. As we drove home the next day I began having flashbacks to my childhood remembering THE CAN. It was a joke at my house because I was a very stingy kid with money. Every birthday and Christmas Day I would take the money I received and take it to THE CAN which was kept in a secret spot in my closet. My family joked about THE CAN, but nobody ever knew where it was. Sometimes I would get my money out and dust it off before counting it and locking it away again. As I drove I began to get teary because I realized that if my own father had been in that same predicament at Opryland, I would have stayed SILENT!! There was no way I would have ever opened up my can and offered my own money for the enjoyment of my entire family. How sad. As a Dad I am always looking for teachable moments with my kids and here was one served up on a silver platter.
When we got home I purposely allowed three days to go by without saying a word about reimbursing my daughter's generosity. I wanted to see if she would ever come ask for it back. Truthfully, I wasn't surprised that she never did. On the third day after the schoolwork was complete I asked her to come to her room. I then asked her to sit at her desk and open her Bible to 2 Corinthians 9 and begin reading. When she got to verse 7 and read that God loves a cheerful giver I said, "STOP"! I asked her to read that line over and over again. I explained to her how much it meant to me for her to so willingly share her money with our family. I explained about my selfish childhood days with THE CAN and thanked her for teaching me a great lesson. I then asked her to hold out her hand as I started placing one dollar bills into her palm. I counted out THIRTEEN ones and then told her that when she is faithful with what God has given her, He will always bless her back with more than she started. I am thankful that God's Promises are true with finances and that since then she has seen many other examples of God's faithfulness with her money. I am just a Dad who is very thankful that THE CAN is a thing of the past in my house.
Thanksgiving Day was great although we grew a bit weary of answering the same question over and over again. "Now why on earth would you want to go shopping at that mall on the busiest day of the year"? That question rang in my ears all night, but the following day found us working our way through loads of traffic, followed by several laps around the parking lot waiting for that person walking slowly to their car looking beat up from the crowds. I'll have to be honest in saying that our shopping experience went quite well, and the girls were quickly transitioning into Christmas mode. By late afternoon I was ready to try and beat the traffic to Opryland for the lights. Yes!! I found a back way out of the mall and was able to get in front of the line for the lights. As we pulled in I saw a sign saying, 12 DOLLARS CASH ONLY. I was stunned that they were charging everyone to wander through the hotel, but then my stomach knotted as I realized that I had NO CASH. I NEVER have cash anymore in this debit card society. Who has CASH???? I begin to groan as I see cars lined up behind me waiting. I was just about to leave the line and go in search of an ATM machine when I heard the sweet voice of my oldest daughter exclaim, "I have twelve dollars"!! "You're kidding. How do YOU have twelve dollars", I asked. The girl had saved her chore money and brought her purse on the trip because she knew we were going shopping. Twelve dollars was ALL she had and she happily passed it forward. I gleefully handed it to the attendant and we went right on in.
As the night wore on I kept thinking about my daughter's sacrifice which ushered us into a wonderful family night at Opryland. I still have so many great memories of that trip, but her sacrifice will always stand out. As we drove home the next day I began having flashbacks to my childhood remembering THE CAN. It was a joke at my house because I was a very stingy kid with money. Every birthday and Christmas Day I would take the money I received and take it to THE CAN which was kept in a secret spot in my closet. My family joked about THE CAN, but nobody ever knew where it was. Sometimes I would get my money out and dust it off before counting it and locking it away again. As I drove I began to get teary because I realized that if my own father had been in that same predicament at Opryland, I would have stayed SILENT!! There was no way I would have ever opened up my can and offered my own money for the enjoyment of my entire family. How sad. As a Dad I am always looking for teachable moments with my kids and here was one served up on a silver platter.
When we got home I purposely allowed three days to go by without saying a word about reimbursing my daughter's generosity. I wanted to see if she would ever come ask for it back. Truthfully, I wasn't surprised that she never did. On the third day after the schoolwork was complete I asked her to come to her room. I then asked her to sit at her desk and open her Bible to 2 Corinthians 9 and begin reading. When she got to verse 7 and read that God loves a cheerful giver I said, "STOP"! I asked her to read that line over and over again. I explained to her how much it meant to me for her to so willingly share her money with our family. I explained about my selfish childhood days with THE CAN and thanked her for teaching me a great lesson. I then asked her to hold out her hand as I started placing one dollar bills into her palm. I counted out THIRTEEN ones and then told her that when she is faithful with what God has given her, He will always bless her back with more than she started. I am thankful that God's Promises are true with finances and that since then she has seen many other examples of God's faithfulness with her money. I am just a Dad who is very thankful that THE CAN is a thing of the past in my house.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Hold on to the Basket
A few days ago my wife returned home to share her latest adventure at Kroger. As she began to tear up I was already preparing to go confront some rude checker or maybe put a GPS tracker on the person who had hurt her feelings. As I listened further I discovered that the tears were from watching an elderly mother push her basket out of the store while her grown "special needs" daughter clung to the cart. The mom looked tired not just from age, but probably also due to years of caregiving to her daughter. My wife wondered just how many times over the years that the daughter had heard her mom say,"Now hold on to the basket". It had obviously sunk in.
These kind of scenes always tug at our hearts because we have a "special needs" daughter who is only 9 years old. From time to time we allow ourselves to look into the future and imagine what our retirement years might be like when our Sweet Caroline is an adult. We know God will provide our needs in all situations, but some days the task seems large. As the Kroger story finished I was quickly taken back a few years to a trip to Sam's Club. I have always loved shopping at that massive warehouse. I get excited not only with the size of the store, but with the fact that I can purchase office supplies and milk in the same place followed by lunch at the deli. It was just Caroline and me on this trip. Caroline's delay in speech was very obvious at that time and she maybe had about 15 total words in her vocabulary. Caroline had been to Sam's numerous times and gotten a bit bolder in trying to wander away from the basket with each trip.
"Hold on to the basket Caroline", I would tell her repeatedly. I made it to the bakery section and she wanted to look at all of the birthday cakes on display. In the brief moments that I studied which loaf of bread would offer the most savings I turned to see that Caroline was out of view. I quickly scanned the bakery area and saw no sign of her. I noticed an entry to a restricted worker area, but nobody had seen a small child wandering around. I began to feel my heart race a little faster as I jogged from aisle to aisle and could not find my daughter. I worked my way from the back to the front and after 5 minutes of searching I ended up at the exit door and asked security if they had seen any small children pass by. They said nobody matching Caroline's description had been by. I asked them to check every kid that moved their direction to see if they could spot her. I don't panic easily but I had never lost a child for this length of time. I was already wondering how I would explain this to my wife. How could I have been so careless with our weakest and most vulnerable little one? God help me!!!!
As I ran back towards the refrigeration section on this 10 minute search I finally spotted a nice lady just standing in place holding Caroline's hand. Her face said she recognized that she had a lost child and was determining her next course of action. Caroline looked quite confused as to why her dad would have disappeared from her for so long. As I drew closer Caroline used one of her few words and exclaimed, "Daaaaaaaaaaaaaddddddddd"!!!! A baseball sized lump grew in my throat. I was unable to even thank the "angel" lady who took the time to stand there with my girl until her Dad showed up. I swept Caroline up in my arms and went to a private corner of the store and began to sob as I kissed those sweet cheeks a million times. One passerby asked if everything was OK and I said, "They are now"! Caroline seemed puzzled by my tears as she stroked my hair and asked, "OK, OK"? I have never forgotten that experience and can't begin to count how many times I have told Caroline to hold on to the basket every time we make a trip to a store.
As I continue to grow daily in my walk with Jesus I realize more and more of just how many times I tend to wander off from His Guidance because I see something flashy that catches my eye. I don't intend to wander away, but there are just so many things pulling me from where my focus should be. Before I know it I am several aisles away in a large warehouse type world wondering where my Dad is. I am so thankful that Jesus continues to pursue all of us the way I chased down Caroline in that store. Jesus willingly leaves the 99 to go out in search for the ONE!! Those reunions are just as wonderful as when I held Caroline in the corner. The sign of maturity in our spiritual walk is when we finally learn to "hold on to the basket" because if we do , Jesus will always lead us HOME. That's exactly where I want to be!!
These kind of scenes always tug at our hearts because we have a "special needs" daughter who is only 9 years old. From time to time we allow ourselves to look into the future and imagine what our retirement years might be like when our Sweet Caroline is an adult. We know God will provide our needs in all situations, but some days the task seems large. As the Kroger story finished I was quickly taken back a few years to a trip to Sam's Club. I have always loved shopping at that massive warehouse. I get excited not only with the size of the store, but with the fact that I can purchase office supplies and milk in the same place followed by lunch at the deli. It was just Caroline and me on this trip. Caroline's delay in speech was very obvious at that time and she maybe had about 15 total words in her vocabulary. Caroline had been to Sam's numerous times and gotten a bit bolder in trying to wander away from the basket with each trip.
"Hold on to the basket Caroline", I would tell her repeatedly. I made it to the bakery section and she wanted to look at all of the birthday cakes on display. In the brief moments that I studied which loaf of bread would offer the most savings I turned to see that Caroline was out of view. I quickly scanned the bakery area and saw no sign of her. I noticed an entry to a restricted worker area, but nobody had seen a small child wandering around. I began to feel my heart race a little faster as I jogged from aisle to aisle and could not find my daughter. I worked my way from the back to the front and after 5 minutes of searching I ended up at the exit door and asked security if they had seen any small children pass by. They said nobody matching Caroline's description had been by. I asked them to check every kid that moved their direction to see if they could spot her. I don't panic easily but I had never lost a child for this length of time. I was already wondering how I would explain this to my wife. How could I have been so careless with our weakest and most vulnerable little one? God help me!!!!
As I ran back towards the refrigeration section on this 10 minute search I finally spotted a nice lady just standing in place holding Caroline's hand. Her face said she recognized that she had a lost child and was determining her next course of action. Caroline looked quite confused as to why her dad would have disappeared from her for so long. As I drew closer Caroline used one of her few words and exclaimed, "Daaaaaaaaaaaaaddddddddd"!!!! A baseball sized lump grew in my throat. I was unable to even thank the "angel" lady who took the time to stand there with my girl until her Dad showed up. I swept Caroline up in my arms and went to a private corner of the store and began to sob as I kissed those sweet cheeks a million times. One passerby asked if everything was OK and I said, "They are now"! Caroline seemed puzzled by my tears as she stroked my hair and asked, "OK, OK"? I have never forgotten that experience and can't begin to count how many times I have told Caroline to hold on to the basket every time we make a trip to a store.
As I continue to grow daily in my walk with Jesus I realize more and more of just how many times I tend to wander off from His Guidance because I see something flashy that catches my eye. I don't intend to wander away, but there are just so many things pulling me from where my focus should be. Before I know it I am several aisles away in a large warehouse type world wondering where my Dad is. I am so thankful that Jesus continues to pursue all of us the way I chased down Caroline in that store. Jesus willingly leaves the 99 to go out in search for the ONE!! Those reunions are just as wonderful as when I held Caroline in the corner. The sign of maturity in our spiritual walk is when we finally learn to "hold on to the basket" because if we do , Jesus will always lead us HOME. That's exactly where I want to be!!
Sunday, July 3, 2011
The Helper
I have become a runner. This is a big deal for me because I don't enjoy running. The reasons for becoming a runner will have to come in an entirely different blog. At first I only ran with one of my four daughters close by with a cell phone set to dial 911 immediately. As my stamina and distance grew I became a bit more confident going alone. I have no desire to become a serious racer or train for mega-athlons. I will never pull a Forest Gump and run from one ocean to another. I am beginning to finally enjoy myself though.
I had decided that a 5K distance was good for me and slowly worked toward that goal of 3.1 miles. I wasn't interested in speed as much as simply not dying! I had finally gotten to the day where I would run a 5K in my neighborhood and was nervously excited. As I laced up the shoes my 8 year old, Sarah asked if she could run with me. I just snickered and told her she would never be able to keep up with me. As I saw her countenance drop I quickly retreated and said, "Sarah you can run as far as you like with me and then just stop if you get too far behind." She beamed and we headed to the driveway for stretching.
I don't think she even lasted to our mailbox before she stopped and scampered back into the yard. I quickly moved on and began asking God for strength to pull this off. I made it half of the way and came back by the house with no sign of anyone. My legs began to ache as I ran those last streets. I began to think about quitting early and trying again the next day. Something kept moving those legs forward. The last half mile is in the cove by my house. As I drew close to the final leg I saw my sweet Sarah waiting for me by the road. As I turned into the cove she started running with me! Suddenly I felt this incredible burst of energy. I got a "second wind" as Sarah tried hard to keep up. As I sprinted towards the finish line she was right beside me. I did it!! I just ran a 5K. I squeezed Sarah's cheeks and said, "Thank you. What a great helper you were to me."
As I cooled down I began thinking about my Christian walk. I accepted Jesus as my Savior when I was nine. Never got into too much trouble even through college. Went to church and just tried to be a good person. By the time I got married my so called Christian walk didn't look much different from everyone else's worldly walk. God led my wife and I to a wonderful church where we began to grow in our faith and understanding of what God wanted for our lives. Through another series of events with our third daughter, God led us to our current church family where our faith deepened in new ways. Sometimes I feel like quitting in the middle of a run because I fail to see the point. Many times I have thought of quitting on God because I wasn't looking to Him for "the point". One Sunday morning at Cornerstone Church I got the point loud and clear. It was almost as if I could see my Helper in the distance beckoning me forward. Not only did I crawl over people to get to the altar, but the Holy Spirit began running with me!! He has never left my side after all these years. I got my "second Wind" and have been running with Him ever since.
I think it is far too common a habit these days that people who have been Christians all their lives begin questioning what it is all about. People just go through the motions and feel like quitting because they see no point. I would encourage you to press on and in and ask for your Helper to meet you for that final leg of your run. He will show up and He will run with you. Enjoy your run!!
I had decided that a 5K distance was good for me and slowly worked toward that goal of 3.1 miles. I wasn't interested in speed as much as simply not dying! I had finally gotten to the day where I would run a 5K in my neighborhood and was nervously excited. As I laced up the shoes my 8 year old, Sarah asked if she could run with me. I just snickered and told her she would never be able to keep up with me. As I saw her countenance drop I quickly retreated and said, "Sarah you can run as far as you like with me and then just stop if you get too far behind." She beamed and we headed to the driveway for stretching.
I don't think she even lasted to our mailbox before she stopped and scampered back into the yard. I quickly moved on and began asking God for strength to pull this off. I made it half of the way and came back by the house with no sign of anyone. My legs began to ache as I ran those last streets. I began to think about quitting early and trying again the next day. Something kept moving those legs forward. The last half mile is in the cove by my house. As I drew close to the final leg I saw my sweet Sarah waiting for me by the road. As I turned into the cove she started running with me! Suddenly I felt this incredible burst of energy. I got a "second wind" as Sarah tried hard to keep up. As I sprinted towards the finish line she was right beside me. I did it!! I just ran a 5K. I squeezed Sarah's cheeks and said, "Thank you. What a great helper you were to me."
As I cooled down I began thinking about my Christian walk. I accepted Jesus as my Savior when I was nine. Never got into too much trouble even through college. Went to church and just tried to be a good person. By the time I got married my so called Christian walk didn't look much different from everyone else's worldly walk. God led my wife and I to a wonderful church where we began to grow in our faith and understanding of what God wanted for our lives. Through another series of events with our third daughter, God led us to our current church family where our faith deepened in new ways. Sometimes I feel like quitting in the middle of a run because I fail to see the point. Many times I have thought of quitting on God because I wasn't looking to Him for "the point". One Sunday morning at Cornerstone Church I got the point loud and clear. It was almost as if I could see my Helper in the distance beckoning me forward. Not only did I crawl over people to get to the altar, but the Holy Spirit began running with me!! He has never left my side after all these years. I got my "second Wind" and have been running with Him ever since.
I think it is far too common a habit these days that people who have been Christians all their lives begin questioning what it is all about. People just go through the motions and feel like quitting because they see no point. I would encourage you to press on and in and ask for your Helper to meet you for that final leg of your run. He will show up and He will run with you. Enjoy your run!!
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Shhhhhhhhhh
Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad!!! Amazing how many syllables a little southern boy like myself could add to a one syllable word like Dad. This method was usually invoked when my older brothers picked on me.
In Lawrenceburg, TN we lived in a very old creaky two story house. At 5 years of age I was sleeping in my own room and had my own closet. I mention the closet because if you walked through the closet there was a door to our attic. Even at a young age I knew that fear didn't come from the Lord. I thought for sure though that it must come from older siblings! They would tell me to lie real still in my bed at night and listen for the sound of rats trying to get through the attic door and into my room. Naturally, I began to fear the quiet. I would lie in bed and do anything to keep from being quiet until I became so weary that there was no choice but to fall asleep.
We live in a world today where people seem to fear being quiet. We are constantly surrounding ourselves with noise. If you have small children you have no choice, but even in those alone times in a car we tune into the radio or reach for our cell phones. Why are we afraid to be quiet? Are we afraid of what we might hear?
Today is the Saturday between Good Friday and Easter Sunday. I think about how quiet of a day it must have been following the crucifixion of Jesus as people retreated to their homes trying to understand what horrific thing they had just witnessed. I am reminded of two different Scriptures on this day. Jesus said, "I make all things new" which means a new beginning for all of us! Going back to the first beginning in Genesis 1:2 I read that God was hovering over the chaos. What a comfort to know that even on Friday as Jesus was being beaten and led to Calvary that God the Father was hovering over this chaotic day. God always brings order where there is none when we allow Him on the scene. God was even hovering over the disciples as their futures had been thrown into chaos and they hid in a tiny room.
I am also reminded of I Kings 19:11-12 when God revealed Himself to Elijah on the mountain. On Good Friday after Jesus had breathed His last breath God's anger was demonstrated through strong winds, an earthquake and fire. God was in all of those things that day. However, when Elijah waited on the mountain for the Lord to pass by he experienced a strong wind, an earthquake and fire, BUT God was not in those things!! For Elijah to experience the presence of God that day he had to be QUIET. God spoke to Elijah in a still small voice.
As you go about your Saturday and prepare for a Risen Savior do not be afraid to experience the deafening silence that surrounded the tomb on that day. Jesus was mocked while He hung on the cross for not performing a magical "life saving" trick. His silence through the trials had to have been disheartening for those who loved Him. I encourage you to not fear the quiet today because tomorrow we will hear the sound of a large stone rolling away followed by our Heavenly Father's voice saying, "It's OK".
In Lawrenceburg, TN we lived in a very old creaky two story house. At 5 years of age I was sleeping in my own room and had my own closet. I mention the closet because if you walked through the closet there was a door to our attic. Even at a young age I knew that fear didn't come from the Lord. I thought for sure though that it must come from older siblings! They would tell me to lie real still in my bed at night and listen for the sound of rats trying to get through the attic door and into my room. Naturally, I began to fear the quiet. I would lie in bed and do anything to keep from being quiet until I became so weary that there was no choice but to fall asleep.
We live in a world today where people seem to fear being quiet. We are constantly surrounding ourselves with noise. If you have small children you have no choice, but even in those alone times in a car we tune into the radio or reach for our cell phones. Why are we afraid to be quiet? Are we afraid of what we might hear?
Today is the Saturday between Good Friday and Easter Sunday. I think about how quiet of a day it must have been following the crucifixion of Jesus as people retreated to their homes trying to understand what horrific thing they had just witnessed. I am reminded of two different Scriptures on this day. Jesus said, "I make all things new" which means a new beginning for all of us! Going back to the first beginning in Genesis 1:2 I read that God was hovering over the chaos. What a comfort to know that even on Friday as Jesus was being beaten and led to Calvary that God the Father was hovering over this chaotic day. God always brings order where there is none when we allow Him on the scene. God was even hovering over the disciples as their futures had been thrown into chaos and they hid in a tiny room.
I am also reminded of I Kings 19:11-12 when God revealed Himself to Elijah on the mountain. On Good Friday after Jesus had breathed His last breath God's anger was demonstrated through strong winds, an earthquake and fire. God was in all of those things that day. However, when Elijah waited on the mountain for the Lord to pass by he experienced a strong wind, an earthquake and fire, BUT God was not in those things!! For Elijah to experience the presence of God that day he had to be QUIET. God spoke to Elijah in a still small voice.
As you go about your Saturday and prepare for a Risen Savior do not be afraid to experience the deafening silence that surrounded the tomb on that day. Jesus was mocked while He hung on the cross for not performing a magical "life saving" trick. His silence through the trials had to have been disheartening for those who loved Him. I encourage you to not fear the quiet today because tomorrow we will hear the sound of a large stone rolling away followed by our Heavenly Father's voice saying, "It's OK".
Friday, April 22, 2011
1 am
"Hey Mom, Can I talk to Dad"?
I know that my mom's heart must have sunk everytime I called home and started the phone conversation that way. I could always imagine her leaning in to try and hear what was going on. Phone calls that began that way meant that there was a problem. My mom could fix a lot of things, but sometimes you just needed DAD!
When I lived in North Carolina I loved to travel around the state and visit friends. One guy who used to work with me had moved to Shelby, NC about two hours away. I wanted to see his new apartment so had made a road trip for the day. We had a wonderful visit. It was about midnight and had just begun to rain when I decided to head for home. Shelby was about 20 minutes off of the interstate and then it was an easy drive. I was a night owl so staying awake wasn't an issue. As I rounded a turn too quickly I hydroplaned off of the highway and ended up in a muddy ditch. The saying of "my life flashed before my eyes" is really true! Once I began breathing again I determined that the car was okay, but just needed to be pulled out on to the road again.
Since there were no cell phones and I had no way of talking to my earthly Dad I became thankful that I had a direct line to my Heavenly Dad!! All I needed to say was "Help"!! On that lonely North Carolina highway in the rain I stood stunned as I saw headlights approaching. A truck slowed down and passed me by. Wait!! He started backing up and rolled his window down. Upon hearing my plight he said, "Jump on in". That highway angel drove me to the interstate where I located a pay phone, reached a 24 hour towing service and was later pulled from that ditch. I was so overwhelmed all the way home as I realized that God was right there with me at 1am on that desolate stretch of road. I went from hopelessness to amazement in a matter of one hour!!
As we go through Maundy Thursday and Good Friday I have continually thought about the incredible weight that Jesus bore in those final hours. He retreated to the Garden so that he could talk to Dad!! Even as He hung on the cross dying for our sins He was talking to Dad.
I have had numerous phone conversations across the years that began with the words, "Hey Mom, can I talk to Dad"? Sometimes just the sound of his voice coming over the phone breaks me to tears because it is the voice that says everything will be okay. As I think about my Savior hanging on a cross and taking my place of punishment I can still be comforted in knowing that God's voice will ring out loud and clear on Sunday saying, "It's OK"!!!
I know that my mom's heart must have sunk everytime I called home and started the phone conversation that way. I could always imagine her leaning in to try and hear what was going on. Phone calls that began that way meant that there was a problem. My mom could fix a lot of things, but sometimes you just needed DAD!
When I lived in North Carolina I loved to travel around the state and visit friends. One guy who used to work with me had moved to Shelby, NC about two hours away. I wanted to see his new apartment so had made a road trip for the day. We had a wonderful visit. It was about midnight and had just begun to rain when I decided to head for home. Shelby was about 20 minutes off of the interstate and then it was an easy drive. I was a night owl so staying awake wasn't an issue. As I rounded a turn too quickly I hydroplaned off of the highway and ended up in a muddy ditch. The saying of "my life flashed before my eyes" is really true! Once I began breathing again I determined that the car was okay, but just needed to be pulled out on to the road again.
Since there were no cell phones and I had no way of talking to my earthly Dad I became thankful that I had a direct line to my Heavenly Dad!! All I needed to say was "Help"!! On that lonely North Carolina highway in the rain I stood stunned as I saw headlights approaching. A truck slowed down and passed me by. Wait!! He started backing up and rolled his window down. Upon hearing my plight he said, "Jump on in". That highway angel drove me to the interstate where I located a pay phone, reached a 24 hour towing service and was later pulled from that ditch. I was so overwhelmed all the way home as I realized that God was right there with me at 1am on that desolate stretch of road. I went from hopelessness to amazement in a matter of one hour!!
As we go through Maundy Thursday and Good Friday I have continually thought about the incredible weight that Jesus bore in those final hours. He retreated to the Garden so that he could talk to Dad!! Even as He hung on the cross dying for our sins He was talking to Dad.
I have had numerous phone conversations across the years that began with the words, "Hey Mom, can I talk to Dad"? Sometimes just the sound of his voice coming over the phone breaks me to tears because it is the voice that says everything will be okay. As I think about my Savior hanging on a cross and taking my place of punishment I can still be comforted in knowing that God's voice will ring out loud and clear on Sunday saying, "It's OK"!!!
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