WE NEED GREAT DADS

I WROTE THIS BLOG SEVERAL YEARS AGO AND IT IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE FATHER'S DAY BLOGS.  I AM REPOSTING IN HONOR OF ALL THE GREAT DADS IN MY LIFE.

Chuck Colson of Prison Fellowship, reports that prisoners send thousands of cards on Mother’s Day to their Mothers and Grandmothers.  A greeting card company donated thousands of cards to be sent on Father’s Day, but not one card was sent.  Many of the prisoners had lost touch with or had no idea who had fathered them.   This confirms the axiom that creating a baby does not make one a father.  What the world needs is more Great Dads.

Hollywood leads us to believe that great fathers no longer exist.  Men and fathers in particular are portrayed as self-centered, beer drinking idiots with rude obnoxious children and a wife that has to be both mother and father in the dysfunctional family.  My experience belies this pop-culture portrayal of men. I was raised by a Great Dad, my husband has been an example of a Great Dad and I have observed my sons mature into Great Dads.  Yes, I have been surrounded by Great Dads all my life. 

WHY IS A GREAT DAD SO IMPORTANT TO YOUR LIFE?

Mom comforts you when you fall down, a Great Dad teaches you to walk.

Mom cries when her babies go to school, a Great Dad cries when he walks his daughter down the aisle or when his son wrecks the car.

Mom cheers when you swing at the ball, a Great Dad cheers when you connect and get on base.

Mom raves over the crayon picture on the refrigerator, a Great Dad raves over the great job his college grad just landed.

Mom feeds you broccoli and salad, a Great Dad stuffs you with pizza and ice cream.

Mom teaches you to love the beauty of a tastefully decorated home, a Great Dad teaches you to fix the holes in the wall.

Mom reminds you to wear your seat belt, a Great Dad reminds you to check the oil.

God created children to need the softness and nurturing love of a Great Mom, but children are incomplete without a Great Dad. Without a Great Dad in our lives we would never learn the importance of getting up when we fall, the satisfaction of achievement and that trying is only a portion of success.  We would miss out on the delights of junk food, live in a beautiful, crumbling home and sit safely in a car that won’t run. A Great Dad goes to work when he is sick, mows the lawn when he would rather go fishing, unclogs the toilet, kills spiders and rodents, is crazy in love with your mother and pauses the basketball game to tuck you into bed.  A Great Dad worries when you are out too late, wonders if you have enough money to pay your bills and never forgets to call your name in prayer. 

Don’t forget to wish all the Great Dads in your life a very Happy Father’s Day.

WHEN A HUG ISN'T ENOUGH

My prayer list has grown to include my neighbor who just found out he has colon cancer, a friend from MN who is having surgery to remove a benign brain tumor, a sweet lady from church is having back surgery and my precious granddaughter, Anabel who is currently in surgery having her tonsils and adenoids removed.  As I prayed, a peace flooded my heart and the presence of the Lord surrounded me; “Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus.”

When my children were afraid, had to deal with a problem or were troubled, it wasn’t enough to just hug them and send them on their way.  Oh they received the hug but we also talked.  I gave them words of instruction, encouragement and an offer of my strength.  God is just like that.  He doesn’t just hold us in His arms but if we open up His Word and listen, he will instruct, encourage and offer His strength for any situation.

After praying this morning, I opened my Bible to Psalm121

I will lift up my eyes to the hills—from whence comes my help?
² My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.

³ He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber.
⁴ Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.

⁵ The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade at your right hand.
⁶ The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.

⁷ The Lord shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul.
⁸ The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore.

What a comfort to know that my help comes from the One who made heaven and earth.  You can’t get any more powerful than that.  God is on “the job” 24/7.  When I’m asleep, He is wide awake and when life becomes too “hot to handle” the Lord is my shade.  When I am overwhelmed and can’t tell whether I’m “coming or going,” God is not confused at all. Verse 8 tells me He will preserve my going out and coming in now and forever.  Is it any wonder why I love Him?  What a friend; What a Mighty God.

A SHIRT, A GUITAR, LOVE & COMMITMENT

37 years ago, WOW!!!  Such a long time ago that seems just yesterday.  At 18 years old, I couldn’t imagine being 37, after all my mom was just 39 and she was getting old.  Today, I sit and reminisce.  How did we cram so many memories into such a short span?  How does 37 years pass so swiftly?  How did I get to be 55?  We were so young, so much in love, so full of dreams and plans, so fearless as we stepped into life together.  It has been quite a journey and I am so thankful we’ve walked it, stumbled, sometimes skipped and other times carried each other, but always together; side by side.

All of my friends have heard me tell the story of our huge family walking into the little church on Mattis Avenue in Rockford, IL.  My eyes immediately focused on the young man sitting on the platform, playing a guitar.  Oh yeah, the most important part of the story, the “western” shirt with tiny orange flowers, your sleeves were rolled up and you took my breath away. It took you 2 whole months to ask me out and that’s when the journey started.   

I loved your gorgeous, thick hair, (at 55, the envy of all of your men friends), your kindness, your off-the-wall sense of humor, but most of all your devotion and commitment to God.  I was raised on a church pew, we actually went 4 times every week, and I knew I wanted a Godly man.  But, your love for God blew me away and actually scared me a little because I didn’t know if I could live up to that in my own life.  Somehow, even at 18, I was able to grasp how your commitment to God would translate into love, devotion and commitment to me and I was not about to let that get away.

That love and devotion was portrayed in a story that few people have ever heard.  We had been dating for a few months and the attraction had deepened to young love.  As our relationship progressed, the temptation to go beyond the boundaries also grew.  Your relationship with God was too precious to allow it to be destroyed by a premature moment.  We agreed to take time away from each other…that was the hardest week of my life.  The other part of the story is that because of your love for me, you didn’t want my parents to think you were “dumping” me; you wanted them to know you truly respected and cared for me, so you went and talked with them.  I was so mad, but you won my Mom and Dad’s hearts forever.  37 years later, I think back on this story with tears in my eyes; what a precious gift you are and how I have always felt so cherished by you.

It’s been quite a trip.  Sometimes a “Roller Coaster Ride”, other times a “Sunday Afternoon Drive” and many times a “Bumpy Ride” down a path filled with ruts but we just kept driving forward, together.  Someday we will take that Hawaiian vacation, we talk about, buy that motor home and become “snow birds,” but tonight I will celebrate by returning to where it all began, in church.  I’ll be listening to your voice as you preach the Word of God, totally convinced; 37 years later this is exactly where I want to be.

STILL IN THE RACE

Our years are comprised of a lifetime of seasons; spring, summer, autumn and winter.  Every season is full of success, drama, crisis, failure and hope; hope that the next season will be better than the last.  During “Spring,” we are invincible; the “world is our oyster;” whatever that means. Nothing is impossible if we are willing to go get it.  As we move into “Summer,” reality sets in, our dreams mature and we begin to fill our trophy case with accomplishments.  Oh sure, we let go of some dreams but so many still await us, just over the horizon.  “Autumn” brings a “midlife crisis.”  Our trophy case looks a bit empty and some of the trophies have become a bit tarnished.  We begin to realize that the trophies of some dreams have been won by another and will never fill our case, so we get a tattoo, buy a Harley or go Zip Lining to remind ourselves and our world, “we’ve still got it.”  It is the “Winter” that brings peace.  Life slows down and we begin to reflect on the things that were. The unrealized dreams fade in their importance and we realize that the trophies are just reminders of the Legacy of our Life. 

I began to examine my own Trophy Case.  As I loving held each trophy, the memories flooded my mind.  Oh the feeling of accomplishment, as I accepted this one.  The hard work that went into receiving that one; oh yah, girl, you certainly earned that one.  I moved down the shelf and pulled out 2^nd and 3^rd place awards.  I put forth just as much effort for these but the memories weren’t quite as sweet.  I still heard my name called, stood on the stand, and still received an award; I just hadn’t been able to accomplish all that I desired.  Then I spied the most precious trophy in my collection.

Way in the back, practically unnoticed and a little tarnished sits a small trophy.  The engraved plaque reads simply, “PARTICIPATION.”  The others represent accomplishments and fulfilled dreams but this small award is my Legacy.  I haven’t always been in first place but I’M STILL IN THE RACE.  I may have stumbled, taken a wrong turn or stopped to get my second wind along the way, but I’M STILL IN THE RACE.  I can’t quite see the Finish Line yet, but I hear the cheers from a “great crowd of witnesses” and I’M STILL IN THE RACE.

The Apostle Paul gives us a glimpse into his “Trophy Case” in 2 Timothy 4:6-7 “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. ⁷ I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

What a Legacy.  Paul had no way of knowing that over 2,000 years later his simple words in a letter to his beloved Timothy would live on to encourage and spur millions toward the finish line.  The trophy may read simply, “PARTICIPATION” but look closely and you will see a few battle scars from the fight and a few scrapes from stumbling along the route.  Your lungs may be screaming for air and your muscles may have expended all their energy but your faith stands strong and you are STILL IN THE RACE.  The trophy is just a memento but Paul reminds all who participate and finish of the real award in verse 8,  ^“Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.”  

Don’t stop now, keep running!  We can all be 1^st Place winners and a Crown of Righteousness waits, if you STAY IN THE RACE!!! 

YOU ASKED ME TO DO THAT?

“You want me to do that?”  “But that won’t change the world.”  “I thought you called me to something great!”  

You won’t hear many people actually verbalize these statements but, BE HONEST, they have run through your mind.  We come out a great prayer meeting, conference or revival with a fresh call of God on our life. The adrenaline is high, we have a vision of greatness; the world isn’t going to know what hit it, then we open the door to reality.  When Naaman, a commander in the Syrian army, opened his “door to reality,” he had a similar reaction and spoke aloud what we have all thought.

2 Kings relates the story of Naaman, a  great and honorable man through whom God had given Syria victory.  Naaman had a wonderful life except for one thing, he had leprosy.  Through an Israelite servant, Naaman heard about the Prophet in Samaria that could heal him of leprosy.  The story continues with the King of Syria sending Naaman with a personal letter to the King of Israel asking him for healing.  Finally, word gets to the Prophet Elisha and Naaman, his horse and chariot arrive at Elisha’s door.

This is where the story becomes quite interesting.  Naaman, who is used to being in control of the situation, arrives with high expectations.  In his mind, Elisha will humbly welcome him and in awe of such greatness, pray, wave his hands and heal him of such a dreadful disease.  Naaman, will then bestow the gold, silver and fine clothing on the Prophet and swiftly return to commanding the Syrian army.  

Elisha not only ignores such greatness but sends his servant to the door with instructions.   Naaman is to go and wash 7 times in the Jordan River.  Naaman is understandably furious at such disrespect and leaves in a rage.  There is only one problem, Naaman is STILL covered with leprosy.  Finally, a servant reasons with him, Naaman obeys and is instantly healed.

 2 Kings 5:13 And his servants came near and spoke to him, and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do SOMETHING GREAT, would you not have done it? 

OUCH!!! Do I see myself in this verse!  So many times I have found myself answering the call of God and walking through the open door with visions of grandeur, dreaming of all the wonderful things God is about to accomplish through me.  

I will probably be asked to speak to hundreds of women, I will plan, host and serve the most awesome food at Ladies Meetings that will make the General Superintendent’s wife drool and of course I will accomplish it all  in a designer dress, shoes and handbag. Now I understand that I will have to turn down invitations and of course I will only pick the ones that God impresses on my heart because after all, it is really about souls. 

 I walk through the door, to find, not the hundreds I thought were waiting but a distraught little woman that has just lost her husband.  She isn’t waiting for my words of wisdom.  Oh No!!! God says, “You want to serve, serve her. Cook a meal, serve it to her friends and clean up her kitchen when they are gone.”  

BUT GOD, I WANTED TO DO SOMETHING GREAT!!!!!!!  Maybe next time. 

DOOR #2; “God you want ME to clean that little kid’s snotty nose? It’s clear down to his lip and I forgot the hand sanitizer.”   Well of course, who else in the church always carries fresh tissue in her pocket?  He could use a hug too.  “I know he came on the bus and his clothes aren’t too clean but Susan, if you could only see his future and what I will accomplish through him.  Your tissue, your smile and hug will keep him coming back to church where he will get to know Me.”    

Well at least there is DOOR #3!!! 

“But God, he’s so old and his first words to me were, “I want to die.”  Besides it has to be a 100 degrees in here and he sleeps most of the time.”  Well so much for designer shoes, handbag and changing the world.  “But Susan, you will change HIS world in the short time he has left.  He needs you to pass on a message to his daughter that his pride won’t let him say to her directly.  Not only will she have some much needed down time but her father’s last words about his precious little girl will bring comfort and peace in her grief.”

Namaan finally humbled himself and received the very thing he was seeking. How many times have we closed our hearts to the leading of the Spirit because we were looking to do something great.  If we could only understand how important the cry of ONE hurting soul is to God and how important it is that He has chosen you to be His hands and feet to this dear person.

Mark 10:43, Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. . 

In the Kingdom of God, true greatness comes through faithfulness and obedience. It isn’t about the GREAT THINGS WE ACCOMPLISH it is all about the GREAT GOD WE SERVE. 

WHY GO TO CHURCH?

Have you ever heard someone make the statements, “Organized religion isn’t for me” or “I don’t have to go to church to be saved?”  We have all probably heard or uttered those phrases at one time in our life.  Well, I have to agree with the first statement.  I would trade organized religion for a relationship with Jesus Christ any day.  Some would say they are not mutually exclusive so why can’t you enjoy both.  I have experienced both and in myself and others, I have observed the more focused you are on organized religion the more distant your relationship with Jesus grows.  The reverse is also true, the closer your relationship with God the less impact organized religion has on your life.  As to the second statement, let me tell you my story.

It had been one of those weeks.  Everything I had read, heard or thought about reminded me of my faults, failures, shortcomings and inadequacies.  Facebook was full of ministry success posts and it seemed that if I stretched the truth, twisted a few details and overlooked all the “restarts,” I might be able to manufacture one small success to share.  I was missing my grandbabies, my kids were all too busy, my siblings had their wonderful lives and even my mom never asked about me.  Years ago, Steve and I had answered the call of God on our lives with visions of hundreds being saved and in general accomplishing “great things.”  Others would treat the call lightly but not us; we were determined to work, commit, let nothing stand in our way of following after God’s will…yet now I had arrived in 2013 and I was tired with no visible fruit in my basket.

Onto the second statement; I didn’t need to go to church this morning to be saved.   I was just as saved when I rolled out of bed this morning as when I stepped into the sanctuary a couple of hours later.  Being discouraged does not equal a loss of salvation but my pity party was overshadowing my ability to encourage myself.    I needed to go to church because God had orchestrated a service, as an expression of His love, just for me.   

Now I have to admit, I couldn’t bear to go to Sunday School and hear the scheduled lesson taught on “Bearing Fruit through Serving,” as I stated previously, I was serving to the point of exhaustion and my basket was empty.  As the worship service began, I recognized God’s handiwork in the selection of music; “How Can I Keep From Praising Your Name” and “Living He Loved Me; Dying He Saved Me.” Healing tears began to flow, washing away the pain; the sermon was directed at me and the time around the altar completed the process but the sweet surprise God had planned for me happened during the offering.  NOTHING exciting happens during offering. Oh Yeah?  We are talking God here and if He chooses to show His love during the offering, who is going to stop Him!!!  During the offering, a sweet lady behind me, leaned forward and said, “I just want to let you know what a blessing you are to me and how happy I am you are here.  It is so encouraging to talk with you; I love your worship and commitment to God.”  

 No, I didn’t need to go to church this morning for salvation, I needed to go to church to love and be loved.   I needed to be reminded of what a great God I serve, who will orchestrate an opportunity to shower His love on me. I needed to enter the sanctuary, filled with Brothers and Sisters, lifting their voices in worship and be assured there is a whole family of God; I am not alone. “I don’t have to go to church to be saved” but it sure makes the journey a whole lot easier and immensely more pleasurable.

THAT'S NOT THE GOD I WANTED!

In the midst of his sermon, one Sunday, the preacher made the statement, “They hate us because they hate God!”  As I pondered that statement, I realized that people don’t really hate God, they hate the holiness of God that reveals sin, they hate their responsibility to God, they hate the absoluteness of the truth of God, but they love the idea of God. We love the idea that there is someone out there more powerful than we are, someone we can call on when times are tough, and someone to blame when things don’t go our way, but to many God must also be someone that can be controlled with their hand holding the remote.

Throughout history mankind has resisted accepting a God that is so far beyond what we can imagine and requires absolute faithfulness and obedience from His followers. Thomas Jefferson believed in the ethical teachings of Jesus but he did not believe in miracles or the deity of Jesus, so he created the Jeffersonian Bible.  Jefferson cut the passages he liked out of the Bible and pasted them into a book which included the early years and ministry, teachings and parables, the betrayal, crucifixion, death and burial.  There is no mention of course of a virgin birth or the resurrection since they fall into the miracle category and give Jesus, God-status.  This is the sad ending to Jefferson’s Bible; “There laid they Jesus, and rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed."  Thomas Jefferson missed the entire message of the Bible. A message about fallen man with no power to redeem himself from the clutches of sin and a holy, righteous and just God who so loved the world that He would robe himself in flesh and die that fallen man could be saved. It is a message about a God who has promised to prepare a place for those who will accept Him as their God, where they can live for eternity with Him.  It is a message about the Resurrected Christ who reigns supreme in the lives of those who trust in Him.

Lord of the Rings’ star, Ian McKellen, admits to tearing out the page containing Leviticus 18:22 from every hotel bible he finds.  You see, Leviticus 18:22 does not fit with his chosen lifestyle.  In an interview he states, “I'm not proudly defacing the book but it's a choice between removing that page and throwing away the whole Bible."  Mr. McKellen and Thomas Jefferson are not so very different than most of us who through disobedience tear or cut the parts out that we don’t like. Our lives proclaim, I want a God who is just a prayer away, but only when I need Him.  “Don’t call me, God, I’ll call you.”  I want a God who would give His all and die for me, but don’t ask me to sacrifice a few hours every week to go to His house and visit.  I want a God that owns the “cattle on a thousand hills” and can supply my every need, but I think 10 percent is a little much to ask me to give from my paycheck.  I want a God that will heal my body and that of my loved ones but I also want a God to be angry with when it doesn’t happen the way I had it planned.  I want a God who can redeem me and save me from sin but I want to be the one who determines the definition of sin and which ones I want to be saved from.  I want to make God into the image of my choosing, however, THE GOD I CREATE CAN BE NO GREATER THAN ME!!!

Genesis 1:26 describes the beginning of mankind, “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.” No matter what position you ascend to in life, how much money you may accumulate, how many educational degrees you may earn, you cannot make God into your image.  We can, as the Apostle Paul stated, “become vain in our imaginations and change the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, birds, four footed beasts or other creeping things”, but it will not change who God is.  The bible tells us in Hebrews 6:13 that “When God made a promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no greater, He swore by himself.”  There is none greater than God and He will always be God no matter what we do or think.  The god that you create will be no greater than you but the God that created me is all powerful.  He can supply my every need, heal every disease and sickness, comfort every sorrow and save me from every sin.  Jesus Christ is my God and beside Him there is no other.