“Daddy, Pay attention”

Posted on by Fireproof

This morning was a learning moment for me.   Honestly, as I sit and write this I am ashamed of how I handled the moment.  So after Lindsey leaves every morning for work I usually have about an hour with our two boys before my parents or her parents pick them up and I head to work myself.  Today was no different. She had just left, and Eli and Silas were watching their Mickey Mourse Clubhouse.  As it ended, Eli asked me to go play trains.   “Of  course buddy.”  Hearing that, Silas grabbed my hand and started pulling me towards their toy room.  So here we are all three of us getting the trains out, with Eli dividing them up evenly between them. (Well as close to even as a 4 year old understands, he had 6 traincars and Silas had 4). But they were both content so that is more what mattered.

After about 5 minutes or so, I started to notice my phone going off in my pocket.  So of course, I gotta check it right.  It could be important I justified in my head.  It was ESPN telling me that Major Leauge Baseball had decided to actually play a game next year at the “field of dreams” in Iowa.  I gotta click on it, this sounds kinda interesting.  Here I am lost in the article, when next thing you know though Eli is in the back trying to get my attention.  “Daddy, Pay attention, My train is on fire and you have the fire truck.”  (Make believe of course).  “I’m sorry bud.”  Telling myself it wont happen again.  And then he goes, “daddy there could have been an expwosion and you weren’t watching.”  So here we keep playing some more but then of course my phone goes off again.  You would have thought I had learned the first time, but nope of course not.  Email this time from the post office letting me know what is coming in the mail today.  So important right.   This time I hear Silas screaming. As I look up I notice that Eli has taken all the trains from him.  Yet again I was to distracted to notice.

 

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Now I would love to tell you that was the end of it, but it happened twice more.  An unimportant phone call and then facebook telling me about notifications.  All my boys wanted was some time to play with daddy yet I let my mind be distracted.  After the fourth time I finally learned and set my phone in the living room, knowing I only had so much time with them before they’d be picked up.  I would love to say that I have learned my lesson but how many of us do the same thing.  Allow distractions to take away from precious moments.   Whether it is time with our kids, a date night with our wives, a night out with friends.   Do we know how to engage anymore, or are we consumed and distracted?

“Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.” James 4:8

Spiritually speaking, how often are we the same way.  God desiring time with us.  Wanting to speak to us, teach us, pour into us, and yet we are just to distracted.  He is trying to whisper to us and yet we have so much other noise that we can’t hear him.  Have we lost what it means to just be in his presence.  James tell us that He will draw near to us, but are we ready to take the moment to draw near to Him.  We say we crave him, we desire him, we want to know hime more.  Are we willing to set aside the phone, the noise, the distractions.  What if God is trying to get our attention saying to us like Eli did this morning, “Pay attention.”  But instead of screaming like my boys, His voice is just a whisper, not the screaming and shouting forcing our attention.  He is just waiting for us to be intimate enough that we can hear that still, small voice.

“After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.” I Kings 19:12

My boys were craving that time with me, what if today God is craving that time with you?  Let me finish with this thought.  Can you imagine at the end of your life God saying to you, I had so much to teach you, to share with you, but you were just to distracted.

The Blame Game

Posted on by Fireproof

Recently in our house we have noticed a disturbing trend.  Yet I feel as if it is one that every parent as some point or another faces.  It is a trend that we are trying to nip in the butt right away, but it is also something that makes us look at ourselves and question how much we do it.  There are times you want to laugh about it, other times you want to get frustrated, and still other times you just shake your head.  What am I talking about… wait for it… the blame game.  Eli is now at the age he is learning to blame his younger brother Silas for things.

This example will probably make some of you laugh and others say that we are disgusting but either way hear me out.  Here it was about 7 in the morning, we had just come downstairs to get ready for the day.  Lindsey was starting to get ready in the bathroom and Silas and I were in the kitchen getting breakfast together and coffee made.    Eli was in the toy room by himself playing trains making all kinds of noise but then there was this distinct sound that we knew right away.  Loud as can be, he had just ripped a five second burner.  In simpler terms, not so graphic, he farted, and I mean an all out man fart.  All of us in the house heard it, and I hear Lindsey from the bathroom go, “ELI.”    Without missing a beat, he started to blame Silas.  “Mommy, Silas pooted. EWWWW!”  Now I will give Linds credit she tried to make it a learning  experience while trying not to laugh.  I could hear her saying, “If you’re gonna blame someone, they at least have to be in the room, or blame the dog.”

There have been other times though where He flat out will lie to us or spill something and automatically he tries to blame someone else.  He spills his milk, “Daddy, that was your fault, you didnt put the lid on right.”  Throws his shoes out the window, (No Joke either we’ve lost multiple pairs) blames his brother.  Pees all over the bathroom wall, it was the outfits fault.  Sometimes the excuses he comes up with are straight up comical, and you just shake your head like where did you come up with that.  The list could go on and on.

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Both look totally innocent right?

Spiritually thinking though I wonder how many of us are the same way when we do something we know is wrong.  When we get caught up in straight disobedience, and we try and blame someone else or come up with an excuse.  “God you don’t understand, they made me do it.”  This goes back to the beginning of time.  Adam and Eve isn’t the garden.  “The woman made me do it.”  Blame.  Instead of responsibility or accountability, we look for a scapegoat.   What’s crazy is if you continue on in that story, Adam not only blames Eve, but then Eve blames the serpent.  We pass the buck.  And it has continued throughout history.

“GOD said, “Who told you you were naked? Did you eat from that tree I told you not to eat from?” The Man said, “The Woman you gave me as a companion, she gave me fruit from the tree, and, yes, I ate it.” GOD said to the Woman, “What is this that you’ve done?” “The serpent seduced me,” she said, “and I ate.””
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭3:11-13‬

What we are trying to teach Eli is the value in honesty, in confession, in forgiveness.  Just the other day we caught a glimpse of this lesson ringing true in his life.  A proud parent moment you could say.  We were in the kitchen, Eli had just gotten some chocolate milk and was heading towards the living room.  Crash, and the sound of glass shattering.  Linds and I both go runnning to make sure everything was okay.  As we round the corner here comes Eli with this look on his face, “Daddy I’m sorry, I did it.  I was trying to put my milk down and the cup got caught in the cord.”  At that moment I was able to share with him that accidents happen and thank him for his honesty.

The truth is though, there are times I will even find myself blaming my two boys for things.  Even when Linds just looks at me like, really?  Why do we do it? I dont have a reason but I am definitely learning the value in honesty, even when it hurts.   What if we could all take that same approach with God.  Honesty.  Confession.  Forgiveness.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” ‭‭1 John‬ ‭1:9‬ ‭

In His Image

Posted on by Fireproof

 

It’s been a while since I have written or posted anything, and during this time our boys have grown like crazy.  Eli is now 3 and a half years old, and Silas is over 1 and a half.  Where has the time gone?  It is like we blinked and now they are both full speed ahead.  As I sit here this morning and think about both of them, I can’t help but notice the differences in them.  And I praise God for each of them being their own unique creations.

Let me explain.  Eli hardly eats anything, Silas will try everything.  Eli is scared of loud sounds, Silas seems to love noise and making as much sound as he possibly can,  Eli is skin and bones, while Silas is going to be more of our bruiser.   Eli is more of an intorvert, while Silas seems to be are outgoing one.

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Even at this young age you can see the complete differences in them.  Lindsey and I will both laugh at times as we talk about them and joke with each other saying, “Oh he definitely got that trait from you.”  As we watch our kids grow we truly can see each of us in both of them.

“So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭1:27‬ ‭NIV

For some reason this morning though it has me thinking about how unique every single person who has breath in their lungs goes back to the image of God.  All unique, with all our own chracateristics, yet all in his image.  So I have to ask this question?  If we believe we are made in the image of God, why do we try and conform to the image of everyone else.  God made you different, be different.  Embrace your uniqueness.  Celebrate the qualties He has given you.  Be you.  There is no one else like you.  Check out this verse.

“He brought us to life using the true Word, showing us off as the crown of all his creatures.”  James‬ ‭1:16-18‬ MSG‬‬

In my simple mind, my simple translation I read this.  Each of my kids, my wife, me, and yes even every single one of you reading this, are God’s masterpiece.  The crown of all his creatures.  Did you catch that?  I believe He broke the mold with every single person.  Each of us has his characteristics.  All the same, made in His image, yet all different.  Unique.  Individual.  Perfect.  Will you embrace that?  When you look in the mirror, do you celebrate who God has made you to be?  David celebrated this is Psalms 139 and I will finish my thought with these words.

“Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out; you formed me in my mother’s womb. I thank you, High God—you’re breathtaking! Body and soul, I am marvelously made! I worship in adoration—what a creation! You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something. Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you, The days of my life all prepared before I’d even lived one day.”  ‭‭Psalm‬ ‭139:13-16‬ ‭MSG‬‬

 

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“I know more than you”

Posted on by Fireproof

So a new trend has started in our house recently.  Ever since Eli has turned the good ole age of 3, he thinks he knows everything and that he is smarter than you.  Whether it is in the car while driving or at the house while doing renovations, he loves to give his opinion and tell you in his limited vocabulary what is on his mind.  With doing the work around the house, he loves to pick up the screw gun and tell me how I should be using it. Or when I go to make a cut, somehow he has an opinion about it.

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The thing that I think cracks me up the most though is in the car.  He is by all definition, a backseat driver.  The light turns red, so I stop.  Automatically without missing a beat, I hear in the background, “Daddy, Go!”  So I try and explain to him about the light being red, which means to stop.  “But I don’t want to stop, I want you to go.”  Yeah, trying to reason with a three year old works real good.  Like when he thinks he knows where we are going or when he wants to go somewhere different.  “Turn here, I want to go there, You’re going the wrong way, and the list goes on.”  All I can say is that he is a pistol.

Now what if we listened to his 3 year old wisdom and did everything his way.  Absurd right.  Who knows where we’d end up or how the work would get done.  While driving the other day though is truly got me thinking about this idea.  We would all say that we would be nuts to listen to a 3 year olds advice, like when he doesn’t want to go to bed.  “You’re right lil man I’ll take your 3 years of knowledge over my 35 years of living.”

In reality though, how often do we do the same exact thing with God.  Trying to tell Him how we think things should be done or bartering with him claiming we know more.  Maybe there are times we need to keep our mouth shut and listen to His ways instead of thinking our years of living outweigh His knowledge.  It reminds me of the scene in Job where God respond to Job’s questioning.  Follow this thought real quick.

“Then the Lord answered Job from the whirlwind: “Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorant words? Brace yourself like a man, because I have some questions for you, and you must answer them. “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell me, if you know so much. Who determined its dimensions and stretched out the surveying line? What supports its foundations, and who laid its cornerstone”
‭‭Job‬ ‭38:1-6

Kinda absurd to think about right.  How often do we really think we know how things should be done, more than God himself.  So I guess in closing I’ll say this, ARE YOU FOLLOWING CHRIST OR YOU TRYING TO TELL HIM TO FOLLOW YOU?

“Jesus was fully human”

Posted on by Fireproof

So the other morning, right after Lindsey left for work as I was getting the boys ready, God revealed himself to me in a completely new way.  To be honest it was in a way that I have never thought of before.  While Silas was walking across the floor, I caught Eli running up right behind him, bear hugging him and then falling down backwards taking Silas with him.  And so it began.  Silas burst out laughing and I mean like all out hyaena laughs, as deep as belly laughs as I have ever heard a baby have.  Now you might be thinking at this point as a good dad I should intervene but honestly all I could do was stand there laughing myself.  Then Silas would get back up, and Eli would pull him back down.  This time though Silas landed right on top of him, rolled over and seemed to pin him.  Here was our 1 year old fighting back.  I really wanted to get down and pul the old www, !., 2, 3, Ding, Ding, Ding.  I think we might have 2 wrestlers on our hands.  But then it turned and the fun was over Eli got Silas pinned down and the laughing started to turn to a whimper.

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You know me though, as my day went on I started thinking about the reality that Jesus himself had a brother, James.  In my mind I started thinking about Joseph standing over Jesus and James as they went at it as kids.  Can you imagine Mary looking at Joseoph and saying to him, “I thought we were raising the Son of God?”  And Joseph replying by saying, “He is, remember what the angel said, but that doesnt’t mean he’s not still a kid.” I can only imagine the fights between the boys, the disagreements that took place, the tears that were shed, and the discipline that had to be dished out.    How about the time when Jesus wandered off from his parents and He stayed at the temple while Mary and Joseph searched for him.  Think there might have been some belts being cracked that day?

Luke 2: 43 After the festival was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it.

Maybe you haven’t thought to much about this before, but please if you get anything from this, remember that Jesus truly was fully human.  He left the comforts of heaven, humbled himself, took on the form of a man, was born in a manger and lived and breathed just like you and me.  So next time you think to yourself and shake your fist to the sky saying, “God you don’t know what I am going through,” remember that he does.  When you say, “You dont know what it’s like to be betrayed,” He is saying, “I had everyone turn there back on me.”  When you are saying, “You don’t know how hard it is to forgive that person, He is saying, “How hard do you think it was for me to forgive the soldiers who nailed me to the cross.  When you are thinking, “You don’t know the temptation I am going through, he reminds you of his time in the desert being tempered directly by Satan himself.  You seeing my point yet?

Phillipians 2:6-7 Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form.

What a way to start my day.  Thank you Jesus for the simple reminder that you were fully hunan, yet fully God at the same time.  Thank You God for my two boys who give me that simple reminder.

I saw Santa!

Posted on by Fireproof

As I got home Wednesday night from a meeting Eli came running up to me, “Daddy, I saw Santa, he was riding on a fire truck.”  There was such excitement in his voice as he told me all about it.  Honestly I’m noit sure if he was more excited about Santa ore about the firetruck.  Either way it was incredible seeing his joy and excitement.

2 hours before that, Lindsey had called me and told me to keep a lookout for the jolly big man.  She was just leaving work, and I was at home already making dinner with the boys, so she wanted to make sure we didnt miss it.  So we started watching out the front window.  Pulling up the blinds in anticipation seeing if every truck that went by was Santa.  Talk about a bunch of false alarms.  I think we saw more big rigs go by our house that hour than we normally do in a full week.  We even saw three fire trucks go by on their way to a call.  Explain that to a 3 year old.  So after an hour or so of watching, Linds was now home and I had to leaver disappointed that I would miss seeing the boy’s faces when Santa came by.

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We have learned you can’t keep ornaments within reach.

While driving to my meeting it got me thinking.  What if we had the same anticipation of Jesus coming back that kids do for Santa coming.  What if we lived in such a way as if He was coming back tomorrow?  The joy, the excitement, knowing that our Savior was returning.  Because the truth is Scripture tells us time and again that Jesus is returning.  The only difference is for a kid they know Santa is coming December 25th each year and we teach them to “be good” because Santa is watching.  What if we took this same mindset of God is watching and He is calling us to live holy lives know that Jesus is going to return.  In church many times we can talk about the idea of Jesus returning as just an afterthought, like oh yeah it will happen one day.  But what if Jesus returned tomorrow?  Have we lived with urgency to tell others of His ultimate return?   I remember a few years back there was a song, “I wish we’d all been ready”  and it talked about this very idea.  Being prepared because his return is a guarantee.  A PROMISE!

“Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” (Matthew 24:40-44)

We teach our kids to be ready for Santa.  What if we started living and teaching the same thing about Jesus return.  To be ready and to share with others as if Jesus were coming back tomorrow.  That next morning I was totally convicted as I read this.

“Peter saw his opportunity and addressed the crowd.”
‭‭(Acts‬ ‭3:12‬ )

This is a verse I have read time and time again, but this time it hit me.  We need to seize the opportunities God gives us to share, to love, to serve, and to live as if Jesus is coming back at any moment.  That thought shouldn’t scare you, but should excite and motivate you, like a child waiting for Santa.  Just some thoughts coming from a convicted heart who wants to make the most of every opportunity living this adventure we call life.

 

 

“Family is my ministry”

Posted on by Fireproof

So a little bit over a week ago I got to spend four days in Colorado for the national Skiers and Snowboarders for Christ Conference, otherwise known as SFC.   What an incredibly challenging, convicting, encouraging and beautiful week.  I had the opportunity to hear some unbelievable speakers including Brian Sumner bring the Word of God passionately.  I had the chance to meet with 180 other believers from around the globe who all have the same heart to share Jesus name on the slopes.  I got to meet with 11 others from the midatlantic area who my wife and I have the privilege to lead and disciple.  Such a blessing this group truly is and I cannot wait to see what God has in store for this season.

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180 of us gathered to be the light!

It truly was a week I will never forget as I came home a changed man.

Yet here is what I want to share with you today.  I was coming home last Sunday night, exhausted from over 17 hours of traveling including black ice, slow traffic, and then running through the airport to catch my next flight.  Needless to say I was looking forward to sleep in my own bed.  The crazy thing happened though as I got to the door.   That exhaustion feeling seemed to dissipate as Eli came running, “daddy’s home, daddy’s home!”  As I picked him up, gave Lindsey a kiss, a reality struck me loud and clear.  My family is my first ministry!  Even though when I went to pick Silas up he screamed like crazy, I know that these 3 are the one’s that God has placed in my life.  I want to live a life that shows that.  I want my boys to know what it means to have a dad who loves and serves Jesus first and is an example.  I want my wife to know that she is a priority and that I am here to lead her.  Above all else they have to be first in my life next to my love for Christ.

If a man cannot be a good leader in his own home, how can he lead the church?

-1 Timothy 3:5

Then Monday morning came around.  The list of things I needed to catch up on seemed absurd.  How was I ever going to get everything done?  Work, ministry, renovations, you name it.  Yet in the midst of all of what seemed like chaos, Eli and Silas climbed up in my arms and just wanted held.  Again, it was that tapping on my heart from God.  “Your family needs to be your priority, embrace this moment.”  As I sat and held them for even just a few moments it occurred to me, thinking how God must feel as our Heavenly Father just wanting to spend time with us.  To just hold us.  To just embrace the moment.  When was the last time you just took a few moments to just be held by God, spending time with Him.  Maybe as you are reading this, you yourself are being convicted.  Right now, maybe take a few deep breaths and just embrace the moment with Him.  Now also maybe it is time for you to take some time for your kids and family.    Will you really think about this and see where God is leading and speaking to you?

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My lil men!

“Daddy, I missed you”

Posted on by Fireproof

To start out I have a confession to make.  This past week I have had a few rough days.  While working on the new house to get ready to move, it seems that everything could go wrong… did.  You know what I mean?  Those days where you have goals of how much you want to get done and none of it happens.  Whether it was plumbing issues,  cutting trim or just called in another directions, it was a rough week.

Now I am not writing this to complain or to tell you about how bad my days were.   I am writing about this today to share God’s grace with you.  You see at the end of those days I would go by my parents to pick up the boys and as I walked in Eli would shout, “Daddy, I missed you.”  As he would say that Silas would come crawling over to me and just grab onto my leg.  You know what happened in those moments.  My frustration would melt.  My joy and excitement would be restored just by hearing there voice and seeing them come to me.

Now if those simple words and actions can stir my emotions, can you imagine the joy and excitement God must experience when one of his children (You and Me) cry out to Him.  Maybe it truly is such simple words of saying to Him, “Daddy, I missed you.”  Or maybe you have been distant from Him and He is just waitin for you to pull at His leg.  I am totally overwhelmed at this thought right now understanding that God himself desires this genuine close connection.

”Draw near to me, and I will draw near to you.

James 4:8

To finish off this thought though I need you to understand something.  Maybe you have been or feel distant from God.  Like really far gone, worried that He won’t tsake you bask in the state you are in.  Maybe you feel like you need to clean up your life first or get things in order before crying out to him.  That is a lie straight from the pits of hell.  God desires you right as you are and He is waiting for you with open arms.

“So he got up and went to his father. “But while he was still a long

way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he

ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭15:20‬

Will you return to God today?  No matter how frustrated you are with life or what has seemed to go wrong, God is waiting for you!  He wants to celebrate with you.  He wants to draw near to you and He is waiting with open arms.  If I get so excited to see my boys in my human emotion, can you even begin to fathom God’s feelings towards you when you choose to return and just cry out, “God, Daddy, I missed you!”

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One of those momernts just escaping everyday life to celebrate.  Oh the joy they bring

 

 

 

“Yes, No, and Wait”

Posted on by Fireproof

I call on you, my God, for you will answer me; turn your ear to me and hear my prayer.  -Psalms  17:6

If you have ever been in church before then you have heard your pastor say when it comes to prayer that God responds in one of three ways, “Yes, No, and Wait.”  Maybe you have even heard me say it.   If I am to be honest though here for a moment, wait, is probably the most frustrating answer.  Especially when you feel that day in and day out that continues to be the answer.  Your patience’s starts to wear thin and you find your self trying to barter with God saying just give me an answer already.

Well,  like God has been doing lately,  He taught me a lesson on it this morning through Eli.  So recently I have been getting up close to 6 to go downstairs and have some alone time before the boys get up.   I had just gotten done doing a little reading and I heard footsteps coming down the stairs.  Then here comes little man Eli.  Right away,  “Daddy,  I want McQueen.”  (His way of saying he wants to watch the movie Cars.).  “In a little bit buddy.”  I replied.  How about you go play with your trains instead.”  He looks at me kinda confused, still trying to wake up,  “No, I want it now.”  (Does his answer sound familiar when it comes to or prayers to God?)  The more demanding he got the more I wanted to say no.   After a few moments I saw his little feet scamper off towards his play room.  Then after about 5 minutes he came back, “Daddy, can I pwease have some chocolate milk?”  How can you deny that when you know my kids pouty face?    So of course I went and got him some.  Then as I sat back down he asked me again about “McQueen,” this time actually asking and not demanding.

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“Daddy, pweeeese”

So as I sat and thought about the moment, I couldn’t help but start to laugh to myself about what God was trying to teach me.  How many times do we pray demanding God for an answer right here, right now.  Coming before Him on our terms, thinking we totally know what we want and when we want it.  What if God is trying to protect us in making us wait?  What if we aren’t quite ready for his answer?

“But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.”  Micah‬ ‭7:7‭

Yesterday, I was making Eli and Silas pancakes.  I had just mixed up the batter, including raw eggs.  Well, both boys kept trying to reach for the bowl, just wanting it right then, not willing to wait until they were made.  I kept having to move the bowl around the room to keep them from eating it.  Why?  Because,  I didn’t want them to have the batter? No, because I didn’t want them to get sick.  So they had to wait.  They couldn’t understand in the moment that I was trying to protect them, but as their dad I knew what was best.

Garth Brooks famously writes that some of God’s greatest gifts are unanswered prayers.  I understand what he is saying and am a huge Garth fan, but I disagree in that statement.  We confuse God’s answer of no, or wait with Him not hearing or answering.  I believe with everything I am that our Heavenly Father answers, just not always how we think He should of wan5 Him to.

You may not like this but I write all this to say, today when you pray and God tells you,  “yes, no, or wait,” that maybe He has his reasons that we can’t always see or understand.  Oh wait He is Lord and not us, so yeah that’s right, He does have a 100 percent guaranteed reason for giving you the answer He gives.  Who is on the throne in your life?  You or Him?  Then trust that he is responding in the way he is for a reason.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭55:8-9‬ ‭

 

 

 

 

Scared of the DARK!

Posted on by Fireproof

”Daddy, Daddy.”  Eli started to whimper as he came sluggishly walking over to me with his head down looking around.  “Hey buddy, what’s wrong?”  I replied as I picked him up and immediately wrapped his arms around my neck clinging tightly.  “I’m skawed, I can’t see. It’s so dark in hewe.”  Then things started to make sense.

Rewind about 2 months, Lindsey and I started to notice a trend and a difference in Eli’s sleep pattern.  He went from sleeping through the night in his own bed to now coming into our room about 4-5 in the morning and climbing in bed with us, usually with a little whimper.  I had just always assumed it was him having a bad dream.   After that night locking up the church though things started to click in my mind, he isn’t always having a bad dream, he is just scared of the dark.

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“Finding his refuge wrapped up in out bed.”

I don’t know at what age kids start experiencing fear, but it has become obvious to us that Eli is at that point.  Whether it is the shadows, or the unknown or the fear of the boogie monster in his room or under his bed, I believe we can all relate.  Whether we will all admit to it or not, I would venture to say that we all have some type of fear in life.  Some fears are rational, some irrational and some we just create in our own worst-case scenario minds.

I share all this to share the lesson God has taught me through these experiences with my son.  Did you know that Scripture talks about fear time and time again, over and over.  “Do not fear, Be not afraid…”  Why?  Because as a believer just like I am there to protect Eli and pick him up, your Heavenly Father is right there with you in the midst of whatever it is you are facing.  He is there to cling to, to wrap your arms around his neck and cling to.  Here is one of the most famous and memorized verses when it comes to fear.

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.  For you are with me, your rod and your staff they comfort me.” -Psalms 23: 4

So I ask you now, do you truly believe that?  Do you believe what you say you believe?  Then take comfort, trust in the one who is far greater than the fear that is in your mind and allow Him to pick you up.  Just as Eli finds his refuge in my arms, find your refuge in your Savior.