11/8/17

Okay...I apologize a lot for not writing, but I am busy, and I actually have a legit reason this time!  First, my wife was in Africa for 2 weeks and I had all the kids (thats 10 still at home for those who dont know this).  Second, when she got back the internet at FM was actually down for 8 days!  Third, my wife and kids left for a yearly vacation they take with an old friend of hers (an ex-female student of mine who lived with us for three years and now is raising 7 kids of her own (my wife disciples her from a distance and they like to get together every so often to catch up and do some mom version of "iron sharpening iron!).  So...I decided to volunteer and build a fireplace hearth and mantle for one of my directors who is building his own home while she is gone!  Needless to say...too many irons in the fire!  But, I finished 30 minutes ago, I am sitting down, and thought I would try and catch up.  No more excuses.  One thought  that keeps coming back to me as I have been busy the last month or so is PRAYER.  This is such a underused resource, and thrown around word these days. I have made it a point that if I actually say I am praying for you, then I actually am.  This may sound silly, or obvious, but I think if we were honest we would have to say we don't pray nearly like we should.  When it comes to praying for our children it's tough, we typically pray for God to "fix" something.  Fix and illness/disease, fix an attitude, fix a predicament they have got themselves into, or something of this sort.  Now, I admit I still pray for these types of things, but I ma learning to be more faithful for God to "prepare me and my child" for what He is bringing to pass.  I want my heart in line with His as He works His sanctification out in the life of my child as well as my own heart.  I know we all know the reality of our kids being independent agents before God, but for me it was more head knowledge than heart knowledge until a specific event opened my eyes.  About 12 years ago Future Men was going through some zoning issues with our county, and for a little while looked like we were in danger of having to shut the business down. At the time we had about 8 or 9 kids and I had invested every penny we had in starting the business.  We were about 4 years into the business and things seemed to be going pretty smooth, until the planning and zoning board had issues with our location.  To make a long, and scary story short, things were touch and go for awhile.  My prayer life was in overdrive and though I was stressed out I felt as though God was truly in control, but I had no idea where He was taking us.  Each night at devotions the kids would all pray for Future Men, and it was a special time.  But, to be honest my view of my children's prayers was shallow.  It was more like a novelty, or "isn't that cute" kind of thing. One day this changed.  I had had a particularly stressful day at work and was grouching around the house just kind of going through the motions of being a father.  It was around bed time and I was making my way from room to room praying with the kids.  When I got to Merrill's room (she-11 at the time, and my oldest daughter) she had her door closed.  I opened it quietly and she was on her knees praying.  She was praying for Future Men.  I was humbled and even ashamed.  Ashamed that I had doubted and even minimized her relationship with Christ.  I realized that night that just like me she was God's child also.  Not really mine, but His.  She went before His presence as an independent agent, not as my daughter, but as Merrill, child of the King!  And there she was, asking Him to direct help and kindness my way! It woke me up!  From that day forward I treasured their prayers and were glad whenever they were calling down help in my direction...I need all the help I can get!  So, as encouragement for you, I remind you that while yes, your child seems to be wondering away from God at the moment, he is still God's child.  God cares about him so much more than you do.  God knows the direction your son is heading, and the joys and sorrows that line the path he is on.  Pray.  Remind your son to pray, rekindle your own belief in the power of prayer.  Go to www.biblegateway.com and search "prayer" and just read through the verses that teach us the power and methods of prayer.  Your son isn't your mistake or trophy, he is God's son and as it says in Philippians 1:6 "being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ."  It is God's work of sanctification that will keep your boy on the right path, and God isn't asleep at the wheel.  He knows what He is doing, be encouraged.