Easter 2013

Happy Birthday Dad!

I'll Be Home Soon

The journey was seemingly endless. My anticipation grew stronger with each state line. I was going home. I was no longer a child. I glanced at my son in the rearview mirror and laid my hand atop my husband's. I had gone so far away and the years passed like days. But finally I was going home. As we left the highway tears welled in my eyes. Every hill seemed greener and more beautiful than I had remembered. Each house that passed was familiar yet aged. Finally we reached our destination. I shut  off the car, glanced at my husband and took a deep breath. Home. We followed the driveway to the garage hugging everyone in our path. Then I saw him. Tall and handsome. Broad and strong. His arms wrapped around me and we both just held tight. Then he whispered to me, "I never thought I would never see you again." I held tighter and just lived in that moment for as long as I could. We stayed a few days, not nearly enough and set off on our journey again. Never wanting to say goodbye, but rather "I'll be home soon", so the leaving would be easier.

Years passed, another son born. The family decided to fly in to town.  Waiting and watching the planes taxi by, I finally caught sight of each one. One by one we exchanged hugs and kisses and then I saw him again. His hair a bit whiter, his step a touch slower but that twinkle still dancing in his eyes. He held me in his arms and although we were thousands of miles away, I was home. Time went too fast. Life begged to move on. "I'll be home soon" was all I could say. Tears fell as they drove out of sight.

The telephone rang. Things had suddenly turned. We wasted no time and drove all night. Our  three angels were nestled in the backseat. Miles ticked by. Tears fell down my cheeks. Thoughts flooded my mind mixing in with the prayers. "I'll be home soon" was what kept my mind focused. Daylight broke through the night and we had finally arrived.  I walked in his room. He was so tired, so pale. I leaned over to kiss him and held his hand. They weren't as big as they used to be. His hair was all white. He couldn't say much but those blue eyes opened and caught mine. I smiled and tried to be strong, hating to see him like this. Knowing his time was short but not saying all that I wanted to for feeling as if I did I would be giving up on him. Besides, I hated goodbyes. We stayed as long as we could and he was still holding on. I kissed his rough cheek and said I had to go now but I told him " I would be home soon"...for the very last time.

A week passed and he was gone. A part of me was too. For a moment I didn't know how to breathe. We drove once again for a final farewell. I felt so strange. Nothing seemed right. Gone was his smile and his teary eyes. The scent of his sweaters, his prickly cheek. I was so sad for all the time I was gone...all the memories I missed...the years lost. But after all was said and done and the doors had been closed, I realized that Dad had reached his real home. One day we will be together again. Someday down the road, but for now there's still so much to do. My heart split in two, half here and half there, but I'll never stop thinking that one day  I too will be home soon.

It's Friday, but Sunday is coming!

All sinners. All guilty. All in need of a savior. All transparent to God. All given equal access to grace. All loved with an everlasting love. All bought with the highest price. All face to face with a choice. In the shadow of the cross, we... are all equal.

 

 

You Are Accepted

"Matthew 3:16-17 recounts the  Baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist:  As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” God validated his son before he healed a single person, before he changed water into wine, before he raised anyone from the dead. He was please with his Son before he did any signs, wonders or miracles. For those who were raised with parents with high expectations for you that you never felt like you achieved, thus causing you to never feel accepted...know that your Father in heaven is pleased with you just because you are His. Once you have received the free gift of sonship, you belong to God. You are His child. God is not waiting on your performance to validate you-He is pleased with you already merely because you are in the family."  -paraphrased from Pastor Ron Carpenter's Wednesday night teaching 03/27/2013.

As I let these words really penetrate my heart, I realized that all of us, in some sense, have an achievement mentality. We think the more we do for God, the more He approves of us, or conversely we might feel like we could never do enough to meet God's approval so why even try...and we settle for what feels right in our own eyes, who the world says we are...far less than the inheritance of that of a child of the King.

When I heard these very well known words from a very well know passage in the Bible again it was as if I was hearing them for the very first time. Suddenly I flashed back to last Saturday at Operation Go where we repeatedly, lovingly taught each child that "God had always loved them" and "there was nothing they could do, good or bad, to change God's love for them". Suddenly, I was little Adolfo or Sofia sitting on the tarp, needing to hear that my Father was pleased with me. Hearing Him proclaim "You're mine...I bought you with a price far greater than gold, you accepted my gift, unwrapped it, made it your own, made it part of you, and I couldn't be more thrilled to call you my child."

Could it be that all the craziness in the world today stems from the lack of knowing our true identity? Unable to receive the free gift that God has already given because we feel there are strings attached. Thinking that we have to do more and be greater for God to truly accept us, or conversely, feeling that we will never measure up to God's standards so we stop trying all together? Have we been lulled into the social ebbs and flows, and rocked into a deep sleep while our true inheritance moves farther and farther from us forgetting that we were called to be an heir to the King of Kings?

What terrible lies to which we have fallen captive. What a wasted forfeiture of the divine when we settle for anything less than the inheritance that is ours as children of God.

But, the right perspective can turn it all around. Just one glimpse of our true destiny is all we need to readjust our course. Seeing ourselves how God sees us changes everything.