“Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him” (Job 13:15).
“The best laid plans…” How many times have I quoted that, and then been stunned when life happens and my “best laid plans” are derailed once again?
It happened to us slightly over a week ago. My husband and I had just returned from a short trip and settled down to watch the Lakers game when I noticed a message on my cell phone. I hadn’t heard it ring, but apparently our second son, Michael, had called. We had just spoken to him earlier that day, so I assumed he was checking to see if we’d made it home safely.
I called him and nearly collapsed when I heard his voice. Instead of his usual cheery greeting of “Hi, Mom,” I heard my precious son gasping for air and moaning. “I can’t breathe,” he managed to say. Then I heard something about an accident and the words, “I think I’m going to die.” I begged him to tell me what happened, where he was, if he’d called 9-1-1, but he couldn’t answer. Then the phone went dead.
Does it get any worse than that? My husband and I threw a few things in a suitcase and hit the road, praying all the way. By the time we’d made the 90-minute drive, we’d managed to discover that Michael had been riding his mountain bike alone, far from a well-traveled trail, and had taken a terrible fall. He didn’t remember calling me, but somehow my return call to him pulled him from unconsciousness. The GPS on his cell phone eventually enabled the medical helicopter to locate him, but not before he spent several hours lying severely injured and suffering under the hot desert sun. He was airlifted to emergency with seven broken ribs, a broken shoulder, collapsed lung, and severely dehydrated. But he’s going to make it, and we’re all rejoicing in that.
And if they hadn’t found him and he wasn’t going to make it, would we still be rejoicing? We would be grieving, certainly…but still praising God? There’s nothing like a crisis with one of our children to put things in such perfect perspective, is there? I’m relatively certain I can truthfully say with Job, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.” But “Though He slay my child…?” A bit tougher, isn’t it?
God knows our weaknesses and frailties, our failures and faults, and He loves us anyway. He understands our struggles to release our loved ones into His care, so much so that He alone gives us the strength to do it. It is only in clinging to Him that we are able to say, regardless of what happens, “yet will I trust Him.” For ultimately, whatever our best-laid plans, that’s really all that matters.
Praying for you, dear ones, that whatever comes your way, you will cling to Him and rejoice as you declare, “Yet will I trust Him!”
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Thursday, June 17, 2010
In Honor of Fathers...
All right, I’ll admit it. I’m old enough to remember watching “Father Knows Best,” “Donna Reed,” and “Ozzie and Harriet” on TV. But is that really so bad?
I was the oldest of three children and the only girl—and I adored my dad. He was my first hero (my husband is my second!), and there were several reasons for that. One of my first memories is of the day we moved into a brand new house, the one my dad had worked on during his off-hours for many months. I was three years old. I stepped out of the hot sun and into the entryway, immediately grateful for the cool air inside and impressed that my dad had accomplished such a thing.
It was also about that same time that I began having severe asthma attacks, often ending up with pneumonia and having to be hospitalized on many occasions. That was before the days when employers or the government provided health insurance, so my health care was strictly my parents’ responsibility. I may have been young, but I somehow realized that my going to the hospital meant that my already hard-working father would have to work even more hours to pay the bills. Because of that I tried not to show how really sick I felt, but eventually my dad would come into my room and say, “I think it’s time to take you to the hospital now.” Then he’d carry me to the car as I considered how very much he must love me to do such a thing.
In addition to being a hard worker, who nearly always kept two jobs in an effort to provide for us, Dad was a disciplinarian and had high standards. If we were capable of A’s, he did not accept B’s. He drilled us on math and geography, and helped me practice for spelling bees even when he was exhausted from a long day’s work. As a result, I learned to set high standards for myself and to pass them on to others.
And yet, if we are to believe the picture that is painted of fathers in today’s society, I’d have to say that my father’s generation was the last of that exemplary breed. TV sitcoms today are a far cry from the “Father Knows Best” era where Dad was admired and respected. Most of the fathers on television today can’t tie their own shoes without a woman’s help! Even commercials show husbands having to ask permission before eating yogurt from the refrigerator. Is that really the picture we want to paint for impressionable children who spend far too many hours glued to those TV sets?
Call me old-fashioned (seriously, go ahead—I don’t mind!), but I’m concerned about the shift I’ve seen in our culture regarding our view of men—fathers in particular. Not only are they often portrayed as helpless buffoons, but in many cases they are reduced to unnecessary annoyances. Who needs a man around when Super Woman is already there to run things? Even the children on most TV shows know enough not to ask Dad for anything except money because only Mom has enough brain power to answer their questions, and only she has the authority to grant them permission. Mom is in charge, and if Dad dares to challenge that assertion, he will have repented by the end of the program.
How sad. Now admittedly, I didn’t grow up in a Christian home. Neither Mom nor Dad was a true believer at that time, though both had been raised with some religious training. My dad even had a German mother who taught him of “Ye-sus,” as she called Him, but Dad had drifted away from the teachings of his childhood. His moral standards, however, lined up with what he had learned from the Scriptures, and he did his best to institute them in our home. We also had the advantage of growing up during a time when prayer and Bible reading were still allowed in school, so we had at least a smattering of Christian understanding mixed in with our moral upbringing. Our home was a home of absolutes; situational ethics just didn’t cut it. Some might call it harsh; I look back and call it “love.”
Though it was some years after I grew up and left home that our entire family came to Christ, it was Dad’s uncompromising values while we were children that gave us a moral compass on which to base our lives. How saddened I am when I see so many young people today who seemingly have no such standards or guidelines, no compass to point them in the right direction. Can we really be surprised when so many of them seem lost?
How different might it be if we returned to the teachings of the Scriptures, particularly Ephesians 5 and 6, which so clearly outline God’s purpose and order for family relationships? Wives are to respect their husbands, children are to obey their fathers, and men are to sacrificially love their wives and bring up their children “in the training and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4). Somehow we’ve gotten it all backwards, especially on TV. Women do not respect their husbands, and children certainly don’t obey their parents. And no one in the sitcoms brings up their children in the training and admonition of the Lord. For the most part, even in Christian homes, that scriptural training of children is done by the mothers.
As I said, call me old-fashioned, but I miss the days of “Father Knows Best.” Even without a Christian father, I was blessed to be loved by a man with high standards and moral values, and for that I will always be grateful. The man I called “Daddy” will always be my first hero, and because he finally returned to “Ye-sus” in the last week of his eighty-eight years on this earth, I know I will see him again one day soon. And oh, how I look forward to it!
God in His infinite wisdom and unconditional love gave me the perfect dad, just the one I needed so I could grow up and become the woman I was meant to be. And for that I thank my heavenly Father, the One who truly does know best.
I was the oldest of three children and the only girl—and I adored my dad. He was my first hero (my husband is my second!), and there were several reasons for that. One of my first memories is of the day we moved into a brand new house, the one my dad had worked on during his off-hours for many months. I was three years old. I stepped out of the hot sun and into the entryway, immediately grateful for the cool air inside and impressed that my dad had accomplished such a thing.
It was also about that same time that I began having severe asthma attacks, often ending up with pneumonia and having to be hospitalized on many occasions. That was before the days when employers or the government provided health insurance, so my health care was strictly my parents’ responsibility. I may have been young, but I somehow realized that my going to the hospital meant that my already hard-working father would have to work even more hours to pay the bills. Because of that I tried not to show how really sick I felt, but eventually my dad would come into my room and say, “I think it’s time to take you to the hospital now.” Then he’d carry me to the car as I considered how very much he must love me to do such a thing.
In addition to being a hard worker, who nearly always kept two jobs in an effort to provide for us, Dad was a disciplinarian and had high standards. If we were capable of A’s, he did not accept B’s. He drilled us on math and geography, and helped me practice for spelling bees even when he was exhausted from a long day’s work. As a result, I learned to set high standards for myself and to pass them on to others.
And yet, if we are to believe the picture that is painted of fathers in today’s society, I’d have to say that my father’s generation was the last of that exemplary breed. TV sitcoms today are a far cry from the “Father Knows Best” era where Dad was admired and respected. Most of the fathers on television today can’t tie their own shoes without a woman’s help! Even commercials show husbands having to ask permission before eating yogurt from the refrigerator. Is that really the picture we want to paint for impressionable children who spend far too many hours glued to those TV sets?
Call me old-fashioned (seriously, go ahead—I don’t mind!), but I’m concerned about the shift I’ve seen in our culture regarding our view of men—fathers in particular. Not only are they often portrayed as helpless buffoons, but in many cases they are reduced to unnecessary annoyances. Who needs a man around when Super Woman is already there to run things? Even the children on most TV shows know enough not to ask Dad for anything except money because only Mom has enough brain power to answer their questions, and only she has the authority to grant them permission. Mom is in charge, and if Dad dares to challenge that assertion, he will have repented by the end of the program.
How sad. Now admittedly, I didn’t grow up in a Christian home. Neither Mom nor Dad was a true believer at that time, though both had been raised with some religious training. My dad even had a German mother who taught him of “Ye-sus,” as she called Him, but Dad had drifted away from the teachings of his childhood. His moral standards, however, lined up with what he had learned from the Scriptures, and he did his best to institute them in our home. We also had the advantage of growing up during a time when prayer and Bible reading were still allowed in school, so we had at least a smattering of Christian understanding mixed in with our moral upbringing. Our home was a home of absolutes; situational ethics just didn’t cut it. Some might call it harsh; I look back and call it “love.”
Though it was some years after I grew up and left home that our entire family came to Christ, it was Dad’s uncompromising values while we were children that gave us a moral compass on which to base our lives. How saddened I am when I see so many young people today who seemingly have no such standards or guidelines, no compass to point them in the right direction. Can we really be surprised when so many of them seem lost?
How different might it be if we returned to the teachings of the Scriptures, particularly Ephesians 5 and 6, which so clearly outline God’s purpose and order for family relationships? Wives are to respect their husbands, children are to obey their fathers, and men are to sacrificially love their wives and bring up their children “in the training and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4). Somehow we’ve gotten it all backwards, especially on TV. Women do not respect their husbands, and children certainly don’t obey their parents. And no one in the sitcoms brings up their children in the training and admonition of the Lord. For the most part, even in Christian homes, that scriptural training of children is done by the mothers.
As I said, call me old-fashioned, but I miss the days of “Father Knows Best.” Even without a Christian father, I was blessed to be loved by a man with high standards and moral values, and for that I will always be grateful. The man I called “Daddy” will always be my first hero, and because he finally returned to “Ye-sus” in the last week of his eighty-eight years on this earth, I know I will see him again one day soon. And oh, how I look forward to it!
God in His infinite wisdom and unconditional love gave me the perfect dad, just the one I needed so I could grow up and become the woman I was meant to be. And for that I thank my heavenly Father, the One who truly does know best.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
No Greater Love featured on ICFW
Please stop by the International Christian Fiction Writers blog and read the post about No Greater Love. If you have a chance, will you also leave a comment? This is a great chance to win a free copy if you don't already have one (or would like to get an extra copy for someone else).
http://internationalchristianfictionwriters.blogspot.com/2010/06/interview-with-kathi-macias-and-book.html
Friday, June 11, 2010
The Pastor's Wife
If you've ever had a pre-set image of the perfect pastor's wife, get ready to have it shattered in Jennifer AlLee's new novel from Abingdon Press. The Pastor's Wife is a warm, witty, entertaining read, but not light and fluffy by any means. And I like that! This story held my interest and kept me turning pages when I really should have been getting some work done (or some sleep!). But Jennifer's writing style and storytelling abilities make it impossible to put the book down and walk away. Need a good summertime/beach read? Get a copy of The Pastor's Wife! You'll enjoy it--and you just might expand your appreciation of what it means to be a pastor's wife!
Father's Day article up on Crosswalk
If you get a chance, please stop by Crosswalk and read/comment on this Father’s Day-focused article:
http://www.crosswalk.com/parenting/11632127/
Thanks so much!
http://www.crosswalk.com/parenting/11632127/
Thanks so much!
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Archived interview with Jerry Jenkins now available!
If you missed our interview with bestselling author Jerry Jenkins streaming live earlier today, you can stop by any time and listen to it in the archives at www.blogtalkradio.com/communicatethevision. Leave a comment, will you? Thanks so much!
Do you need a "suddenly" in your life?
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host
praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace,
good will toward men!” (Luke 2:13-14)
Have you ever noticed that the Bible is a book of “suddenlies”? In Luke 2 we find a band of obscure shepherds, watching their flock during the night and not expecting anything miraculous or even unusual to happen. And then—suddenly—a heavenly host of angels appears to them and announces the birth of their long-awaited Messiah. Not only that, but they are told how to find Him. What a privilege!
Though this appearance of angels was completely unexpected by the shepherds, the coming of the Messiah was not. All faithful Jews had long awaited the fulfillment of God’s promise of the coming of the Anointed One. No doubt there were times throughout the rocky history of the Jewish nation that people did battle with doubts; some even succumbed to them and stopped believing. How tragic! For some, that point of disconnect with God’s promise may have come on the very eve of His appearing.
Not much has changed, has it? The Messiah came 2,000 years ago, and He promised to return. And so we wait, as both worldwide and personal dangers and difficulties threaten to overwhelm us and diffuse our faith. Can you relate?
• Are you or someone you love battling a seemingly hopeless disease?
• Has a relationship self-destructed, bringing unbearable pain?
• Have financial plans fallen apart, leaving you on the verge of homelessness?
• Have long-held dreams evaporated in the smoke of a harsh reality?
Nearly every one of us can relate somewhere on that list, can’t we? And yet…there is a “suddenly” on our horizon. It may not be the one we’re expecting, but if it’s from God, it’s even better! No doubt those shepherds were in need of some personal “suddenlies” in their own lives, but never did they dream of a suddenly so amazing or glorious as the appearing of angels and the announcement of the birth of the Messiah! When that suddenly-of-all-suddenlies became a reality, all other hoped-for “suddenlies” faded into obscurity. The shepherds had been blessed with the greatest suddenly of all time!
And yet that stunning suddenly will be equaled by another when our Savior returns at last. Will we still be here to greet Him? I don’t know, though I do know that whether He comes for us corporately or individually, it will be the most joyous time imaginable. And at that point, all else will be washed away in never-ending rejoicing and celebration.
If you are in need of a suddenly in your life, don’t stop praying or believing for God to bring it to pass…but remember how trivial it will seem in light of the suddenly of His return. Keep looking up, dear ones, for our redemption draws near!
praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace,
good will toward men!” (Luke 2:13-14)
Have you ever noticed that the Bible is a book of “suddenlies”? In Luke 2 we find a band of obscure shepherds, watching their flock during the night and not expecting anything miraculous or even unusual to happen. And then—suddenly—a heavenly host of angels appears to them and announces the birth of their long-awaited Messiah. Not only that, but they are told how to find Him. What a privilege!
Though this appearance of angels was completely unexpected by the shepherds, the coming of the Messiah was not. All faithful Jews had long awaited the fulfillment of God’s promise of the coming of the Anointed One. No doubt there were times throughout the rocky history of the Jewish nation that people did battle with doubts; some even succumbed to them and stopped believing. How tragic! For some, that point of disconnect with God’s promise may have come on the very eve of His appearing.
Not much has changed, has it? The Messiah came 2,000 years ago, and He promised to return. And so we wait, as both worldwide and personal dangers and difficulties threaten to overwhelm us and diffuse our faith. Can you relate?
• Are you or someone you love battling a seemingly hopeless disease?
• Has a relationship self-destructed, bringing unbearable pain?
• Have financial plans fallen apart, leaving you on the verge of homelessness?
• Have long-held dreams evaporated in the smoke of a harsh reality?
Nearly every one of us can relate somewhere on that list, can’t we? And yet…there is a “suddenly” on our horizon. It may not be the one we’re expecting, but if it’s from God, it’s even better! No doubt those shepherds were in need of some personal “suddenlies” in their own lives, but never did they dream of a suddenly so amazing or glorious as the appearing of angels and the announcement of the birth of the Messiah! When that suddenly-of-all-suddenlies became a reality, all other hoped-for “suddenlies” faded into obscurity. The shepherds had been blessed with the greatest suddenly of all time!
And yet that stunning suddenly will be equaled by another when our Savior returns at last. Will we still be here to greet Him? I don’t know, though I do know that whether He comes for us corporately or individually, it will be the most joyous time imaginable. And at that point, all else will be washed away in never-ending rejoicing and celebration.
If you are in need of a suddenly in your life, don’t stop praying or believing for God to bring it to pass…but remember how trivial it will seem in light of the suddenly of His return. Keep looking up, dear ones, for our redemption draws near!
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