A Sign Among Us - Chapter 1 - An Awesome Responsibility

Ephesians 4:1 says, '...walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called...' It is my intention to get us thinking about what the will of the Lord is for our lives. What does the Lord have planned for you? What vocation are you called to right now? What vocation is He getting you ready for? I believe the Lord is grooming all of us for a ministry. There are times when I can see the Lord blessing my life, and then there are also times I am so humbled and am made painfully aware that I am not worthy.

One service my Pastor was speaking about our appearance. He was joking about how he thought I resembled Jesus and could play Him in our Christmas play. On the car ride home I shared Pastor's comments with the children. My youngest daughter Becca said, 'Daddy, you do look like Jesus. You know why? Because you don't lie... Because you always tell the truth, like Jesus. So you do look like Him Daddy.'

That blessed my heart. '...walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called...' I wasn't worthy of that praise. But thank you Lord for allowing me to receive it. Where were you called? What is your vocation? Doesn't it seem overwhelming at times? Doesn't it get frustrating? Do we sometimes doubt the Lord and say things like, 'Lord I want to do what you tell me, but are you sure about this?'

Reverence

Were you watching the Opening Ceremony of the 2002 Winter Olympics? It was a few months after September 11th of 2001. The Olympics promoter told a powerful story of the spirit if America. About the wake up call America received and how we rose to the occasion. It was at this point they wanted to show support and show honor to a few. They invited Mayor Rudy Guillani and President George Bush on stage. To give them some honor for rising to the occasion. To an occasion that no one could have prepared for.

They were given honor. The promoters then played a video with all the images we were glued to months previously on TV. They stirred up emotions that we started to forget... The images of terrorism and the images of heroism. After the video a round of applause was handed over to the President and the Mayor. To let them know that we were thankful, and that we support them.

When the applause died down, the lights dimmed, the fifty thousand in attendance grew silent. A spot light fell on the entrance to the stadium. Eight Olympic hopefuls each had a hand on the American flag. The flag we all remember from September 11th. The flag we remember falling into the cloud of smoke... as the last tower collapsed and here it was from the wreckage. Ripped, torn and showing its battle scars. Being lifted up and carried with all the reverence it deserved.

After the ceremony one of the flag bearers gave testimony. He commented about the amazing silence in the outdoor arena. They were outside, under the stars, with fifty thousand people watching. All he could hear was the squeaking of his shoes and there I was, sitting on my couch with tears in my eyes.

I can imagine how the President and the Mayor felt, 'I'm not worthy.' Why do I tell you that story? We aren't worthy of the blessings we get. But we do receive blessings when we do what the Lord asks us it do. Even if the results obtained aren't what we exptected. He will reward us for doing what He asked.

Who's Children?

We dedicate our children to Him. We dedicate our day to Him. We dedicate our lives to Him Shouldn't we also expect Him to produce the results? Proverbs 22:6, 'Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.' The word train here is meaning to 'put into the mouth' and implies the idea of conditioning the palate. We are obligated to help children develop a taste for the things of God. How do we do that in a Biblical way? We need to emphasize a balance of instruction and discipline. We don't need to be overly authoritarian, nor overly permissive. We need to balance love and discipline. As not to 'provoke' our children to rebellion.

What does the Lord promise us? '...when he is old he will not depart from it.' Education in the home forms the man throughout his lifetime. The Lord promises us when he is old, he will not depart from the word.

You know what else He promises us? What does the Bible say about our sins? Four times in the Old Testament we are told, '... visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and forth generation.'

Those children already have grandpa's sins, Great-Grandpa's sins and Great-Great-Grandpa's sins heaped on them; do I need to be adding on that pile? Do I need my sins taking away from their blessings, that the Lord wants to shower on them. Do we want to steal their blessings? When my children grow up to be adults I want them to be stronger in the Lord than I am. They were all saved at a much younger age than I was. You know what scares me into submission? In addition to stealing their precious blessings, I am scared of the conversations I don't want to have when they get older. 'Dad, how come you didn't take us to church on Wednesday evenings? Dad, how come you didn't go to the Couple's Fellowship, with our mommy? Dad, how come you never went to the Men's Breakfast with the other men? Dad, how come you didn't pray with me every night?'

I don't ever want one of my children to say that to me when they have a family of their own. I don't want them to even think that of me when they are raising my grand children. I don't ever want you to have a conversation like that. I don't even wish it to be thought of you. I had to have a tough conversation with my parents one evening.

Testimony Time

My parents were sitting in my living room one evening. We were talking about a lot of things, the good and the bad. Just like any other family, often the bad times were more frequent than the good. Just like an other family we try to remember those good times and repress the bad. My parents went on to say how proud they were of my brothers and myself. I have three younger brothers. Then in the next breath they told me a story about how they used to feel guilty for some of the things they put us through. They used to feel guilty for some of the mistakes Brandon, Todd, Josh and myself made in our adult lives. They felt responsible for my previous divorce. They also felt responsible for Brandon's divorce and the struggles Todd and Josh also suffered. They felt responsible and used to believe that it was because they did not train us up correctly.

My parents went on further. They let me know they no longer felt guilty for the burdens they put us through. They gave me a story about how when you get kids you don't get an instruction book. They did the best they could and you know what you four boys all turned out O.K. We have no guilt, you are good kids, good men. We are good parents, and we are proud, we don't beat ourselves up any more of reel responsible for the bad.

It was my turn to talk, in tht same living room. 'You should be proud of us. I didn't get this far on my own. When you speak to your friends you brag of your grand children don't you? You also brag to them about the advances I have made in my career and I want you to and you should.'
'That's right we do.'
'You also brag of Brandon and how ell he is doing in his career also.'
'Yes, that's right.'

'And of Todd, and how far he has advanced in the Military, in his education and with his family.'
'Yes, we are proud of Todd also.'

'And with Josh, you will also be more proud of him, keep in mind he is still young, and we were like him a that age. In a couple of years you will be bragging on him also.'
'You should be proud, I want you to be proud and I want you to take credit for all of our successes. But with that is also the baggage we carry. Don't make light of the struggles you put us through. Don't dismiss the things we went through as children that I work very hard at making sure your grand children never have to go through.'

'You deserve to take credit for the good and I need you also to admit the pain you have caused us. We have baggage. Brandon, Todd, Josh and myself are walking around with memories burned in our mind. Those scars hold us back at times.'

'Yes I believe we are successful, and you are allowed to accept responsibility for that. But you also need to accept some responsibility for our baggage.'

'I love my parents. I have forgiven them for the pain they put me through. But you know what else, because I love them I also needed to paint the other side of the picture for them. I don't want any of you to ever be a part of a conversation like that.


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