from another father to one

You may or may not have been aware that I have a son who has been serving with the Army in Iraq. Upon discovering this, many would ask me how I was doing, whether or not I worried, was I stressed, etc.

I would respond that the fact of my son choosing to be in harm's way (and he did choose it) changed nothing for me; I have long been comfortable with the fact that protection for my loved ones can only come from God and not from any effort (or worry) of mine. The dangers my son faces may seem more imminent, but witness the tragic events that can occur "at home," such as the Virginia Tech shootings a year ago. What, or better, where is safe?

It would be a lie to say I did not worry, but my faith in Jesus Christ and trust in God's sovereignty have allowed me to be at peace with the circumstances of life, even if and when I don't understand the events that occur. Even if tragedy struck, I would want my response to be to praise and thank God for his grace and love.

Benjamin B. Warfield said,

A firm faith in the universal providence of God is the solution of all earthly troubles.

Some might hear that and say, "Well, you don't understand my problems!" or "You'd be saying something different if..." Warfield understood; his wife was paralyzed soon after their marriage. Even so, he cared for her throughout their 39 years of marriage, and he remained a yielded, faithful servant of God. Read about him here.

Today, I praise and thank God for protecting my son, who I spoke with last night. He is back in this country, this tour of duty coming to an end, and he should be home this weekend. So, from just another human father to the one Father of all, who loves me as if there were no other, so much that he didn't spare his own son, and indeed he loves all with that same boundless love, praise and glory to you, Lord.

not "all alone"

The Bible knows nothing of solitary religion.

—John Wesley

Satan watches for those vessels that sail without convoy.

—George Swinnock

When my wife and I first joined our church (over 18 years ago--wow, where has the time gone?) there was a large red banner across the back of the auditorium. The banner, in large white lettering, proclaimed Romans 12:5: So we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. I can still remember my disappointment when the banner was taken down. Recently I began to ponder this verse anew as the latest teaching series at church is a "One Another" series.

The Greek word translated as "one of another" is allēlōn, and I have always been amused that while the English pronunciation sounds somewhat like "all alone," the usage in context points in the opposite direction. Romans 12:5 speaks to our mutual need for each other in the body of Christ; each of us has a unique function within the body according to how God has made, has gifted, us. I'm afraid that some can read this and think something like, "Oh, my church job description!" This at best is an impersonal view of something intended to be very personal; we learn in Ephesians 4:16 that building each other, and ultimately the body, up in love is the goal.

But I have always thought of the banner, hence Romans 12:5, in terms of navigating daily life and how God never intended that I do that alone. Perhaps it isn't really an abuse of context since we are talking about [Christ's] body life. Particularly in the individualistic (can I just say selfish) society in which we live, it is so easy to forget or just plain ignore our need for each other; combine this with my human tendency to withdraw and isolate when problems are encountered, failures occur, etc. and I appreciate just how vulnerable I am!

The teaching series at church has been a great reminder. You may hear a series like that or else read a post like this one and just say, "I know that." But as Samuel Johnson said,

People need to be reminded more often than they need to be instructed.

Remind me (again) and I'll remind you. Bear one another's burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ. (Galatians 6:2)

what do you look like?

Norman Rockwell was still producing cover art for the Saturday Evening Post when I was born. Even so, I have no direct memories of those magazine covers, yet I grew up hearing about Rockwell and his works and being familiar with many of them at an early age. One of my favorites has always been the work entitled "Triple Self Portrait." I remember being quite entertained by the difference in the image in the mirror versus what was being painted on the canvas.

We all have an idea of what we look like. The physical is easily confirmed (or denied!) by looking into most any available mirror (whether to our delight or dismay is another matter.) Similarly, we all have an idea of what we look like in character--who we are--but discovering the reality is a bit more difficult than the physical, and it is generally much more sobering. The reality consists in how others perceive us; as I've gotten older, I've come to realize that frequently others view me very differently from how I think of myself.

One of the great joys for a Christian is the realization that God knew exactly the person each of us was, warts and all, when Jesus died on the cross to secure for us forgiveness of sins, to redeem us, and to reconcile us to himself. That is the realization of God's love for us. For you. "...while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8.) Common in the experience of Christians, however, is that as God grows us and teaches us, we more and more see ourselves as God does, and that is disheartening to say the least. We increasingly see that not only do we fall short of the glory of God, we understand more and more how far short we fall! I can get pretty dejected when I think about this.

That is in essence looking backward; our focus should be that God loves us. Lay hold of the truth put forth in Leighton Ford's comment,

God loves us the way we are but He loves us too much to leave us that way.

If you know Jesus as lord and savior, it is God who has begun to work in you and he will complete what he started. And that work is to conform you to the image of his son--not how he looks but who he is.

and how long will you be staying?

I spent much of last Saturday with my CD collection. I've been ripping my music down to MP3 format with plans to build a music server. This just adds fuel to the fire when my friends refer to me as a geek.

No matter. One of my favorite artists from way back is Gordon Lightfoot, and even though I like his earlier works best, I own one of his later CD's which is entitled "A Painter Passing Through." I had not thought about this disc for a long time but again encountered it this weekend.

I've always enjoyed meditating on that album title; I identified with it in a certain sense. A Painter Passing Through. I don't consider myself an artist of any kind, but I love to reflect on the notion that I'm passing through. I think of passages of scripture such as in Philippians 3, where Paul reminds us that we are "citizens of heaven." That notion, along with pondering Christ's return, helps me bear much frustration associated with living in this world.

Reflecting again on the Lightfoot album title, I was reminded of this quote:

The only ultimate disaster that can befall us, I have come to realize, is to feel ourselves at home here on earth.

—Malcolm Muggeridge

Live daily with the joy that this is not all there is! Even though I need to be diligent in my pursuits and the discharge of my responsibilities, and there are all kinds of frustrations that can derail me (if I let them,) those things just don't stack up against God's promise in Christ of eternal life with him. That is abundant life that begins anew every day.