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Unfortunately, there have been several mass shootings of late. In 1999 the Columbine shootings awakened us to the horrific possibility that schools weren’t as safe as we once thought. Since then we’ve realized no place, not even houses of worship, are safe anymore.
But this one hit hard. Maybe it’s because of the age of the victims. Perhaps it’s because to have this happen so close to Christmas dashes our hopes, and taints the holiday most looked forward to by our babies. Maybe it’s because it is one more reminder of the frailty and uncertainty of life.
Hopefully it drives each of us to appreciate the ones we love and tell them and show them so…often. Every time we part company with them, we need to be reminded in some small way that this could be the last time we see them. No drama there, no attempt to preach doomsday logic. Just a quiet reminder to show those we love that we love them.
My prayers, of course go out to the parents and families of the victims. The brothers and sisters that won’t see their brother or sister this side of heaven. The grandparents that won’t get to see that Christmas Concert this year (and it’s the first one they’d have). The Aunts and Uncles who just lost their pride and joy. Simply can’t imagine the pain.
My prayer is for the teachers and staff of Sandy Brook. Those of in education know that it doesn’t matter if you are the class instructor, the janitor or the cook, you play a vital role in the life of the Kids. At any given moment you are a parent, a coach, and encourager, a disciplinarian, a doctor, a counselor, a pastor, a playmate, and perhaps most importantly, a friend…a best friend at times.
People choose to go into education to make a difference in lives of children. We don’t go into it for the pay (which isn’t that great) or so we can ‘have summers off (which rarely happens) or for status. We work long hours, struggle with increasing government regulations and paper work; with increasing scrutiny by parents, politicians and the community at large; when the kids fail it’s our fault, when they succeed it’s their determination that does it.
We don’t just deal with sick kids, scared kids, abused kids, violent kids, smart kids, and kids with special needs. We become a part of their family system. Maybe that’s why this one hit so hard for me.
I still believe in God’s love although sometimes I question why He allows these things to happen. My prayers are for comfort and strength for the victims’ families. But most of all right now, I pray for the teachers, and for all the 1000’s of teachers across this country that are hurting over this. God Bless you. You do a service everyday that many can’t do. Thank you for your dedication. Thank you for your love.
“I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” John 17:23
Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals,and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” Genesis 1:26 (NIV)
You weren’t an afterthought. When the Creator God formed the universe, hung the sun in place and separated the water from the land, you were on his mind. When he spoke the word and thousands of plants and animals came into existence, he knew he wasn’t done. With a word, the Father spoke all this into existence. But when he made man, he stopped and thought about it.
Why? Was it because God was confused as to how to make man? Were we too large a task for him to handle? Of course not, God paused after making the other animals because this was something special. This ‘man’, these humans as we call them, were going to be set apart from everything else in creation.
These beings were going to be made in his image. That means that unlike other animals, human kind would have the ability to reason, speak choose. He would give them the power within themselves to do great and mighty things.
God made the world (the plants, the universe, and the animals) for mankind to tend to. He made mankind for his own personal relationship. Did the world need man to be complete? Probably not. The angels could have tended to the tasks at hand. Without man, God wouldn’t have been complete. He needed man to be his special object of love. He desired to create for himself one being that would be the most like him.
It’s no wonder then that when we shun God there is a part of us missing. We were created to fellowship with him and the absence of that fellowship causes and emptiness.
Oh, we can try to fill it with religion or spirituality. We can try to dull the pain with human relationships and materialistic endeavors. But nothing will fill that God-shaped hole in our hearts except for God himself.
God, the creator of the universe, the one that controls everything you see created you because he desired to have a passionate love relationship with you. Nothing you can do will make him change his mind about you. Nothing you can do will allow that love relationship to happen. There’s only one thing to fill the void and that’s Jesus Christ.
The forgiveness Jesus offers you through the cross allows you to a restored relationship with your creator.
PRAYER: God, I’ve been taught that you aren’t real. I’ve heard that all I see around me happened by chance. I thank you that I didn’t happen by chance. I thank you that I was intentionally made so I could love you. I’m tired of trying to fill this void in my life. Help me to find the peace only Jesus can give. Amen.
It is God Who covers me with strength and makes my way perfect. Psalm 18:32 (NLV)
The wild fire roared through the farmstead destroying every thing in its path. The storm of flames left behind the charred remains of the farmer’s livestock, his home and his out buildings. Although his family was saved, his entire livelihood was gone.
As he shuffled through the dust and ashes he looked towards a still smoke-filled sky. “Show me one sign that you want me to continue on, “He prayed to his God. As he continued on his foot kicked against a blackened lump in the dust. What turned out to be the charred remains of a hen skittered across the ground and then flipped over. A small, yellow chick struggled from the midst of the ashes of its dead mother.
“I have covered you with my strength” the young farmer heard almost audibly. His sign delivered, he looked again at the farmyard and began to think of his future, a future build on God’s protection.
God’s protection doesn’t always come to us in a physical way. Indeed, all our senses perceive can be taken from us in a flash. But His strength goes beyond our senses. His strength goes beyond our understanding.
The clothing of the Middle Eastern person in Biblical times was never complete without a girdle, a piece of clothing that offered strength to the loins as they walked the wilderness paths. It kept them physically protected, kept their robes in place and offered a place for a sword if necessary.
This is the picture the Psalmist gives us in Psalm 18. Like the chicken that protected its young, God’s protection completely engulfs us. The rest of the world as we know it may fall away. All we hope for may be dashed upon the rocks. But God’s protection goes beyond whatever is attacking you today.
Regardless of how bad things seem now. No matter how much desolation, hopelessness and devastation you may see right now in your finances, your relationships or your health remember that your strength was never intended to see you through. Overcoming the obstacles of life always comes from God’s strength.
The young farmer could have looked out over his fire-swept farm and given up. But he sought one small sign, a struggling, chirping chick and from that rebuilt his farm as well as his faith in an almighty, protecting God.
PRAYER: Father, it’s hard to see positive things in the midst of all the trials of my life. Thank you for your promise of protection. Gird me with your strength so that the battles of my life will not overcome me. Amen
Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his faithful servants. Psalm 116:15 (NIV)
[To my readers: On February 11, 2012 my father suffered a stroke which weakened him physically and took away his speech. The search for a cause of that stroke revealed stage four cancer in his body. For the next several weeks my father battled the cancer as well as the effects of the stroke. On March 22, 2012, just 11 days after his 85th birthday, Dad won his battle with cancer and was ushered into the presence of his Lord Jesus to join those who have gone before us.
The words that follow are my tribute to my Father. A tribute I was honored to share with those of us who gathered together to celebrate his life. May you be challenged and blessed by these words.
Since that time, I’ve taken time away from my writing to regroup, deal with some personal issues, and rest. It’s time to re-enter the world to share what God has laid on my heart. I pray he will give me the strength to balance life and writing so that you will be blessed by the words I am given. May the God of Heaven richly bless you. Amen.]
How do you sum up 57 years of memories in a three to five minute speech? The easy answer to that of course is…you can’t! It’s been so encouraging to hear your stories of how Dad influenced your lives; to hear how many of you will spend eternity with Jesus because of the ministry Dad had to you. There aren’t too many 84 year old men who can relate to someone who is 14 one minute and a 70 year old the next.
Dad, Pastor Max, Grandpa Max, was more than a father to me, especially in these later years. He was a mentor, a friend and one of my main cheerleaders whether I entered the pulpit or faced some new challenge in life.
Over the last eight years I had the honor of having breakfast with Dad nearly every Wednesday, in our usual booth at ‘Our Place Café’. You know you are a regular when you show up at a restaurant and your coffee is hot and poured, your eggs are done just the way you like them and the servers greet you by name. Wednesday mornings will never be the same.
One of the memories I have growing up was the role of music in our family. We were by no means the Von Trapp Family but mom worked hard to get five rambunctious pastors kids all singing on the right page…usually. We learned to sing on our 90 mile trips over the river and through the woods to grandma’s house. Mom taught us to sing in harmony.. Dad taught us the importance of living in harmony. Together they taught us the vital importance of a relationship with Jesus Christ.
While Mom had an ear for music, Dad had a love for music. They are not the same. On one occasion I remember Dad being asked, not so graciously, to refrain from singing with us since we were practicing for Sunday night church and he was throwing us off key.
Dad had a song in his heart even though it didn’t always come through his lips as well as it left his head. Nothing could quench the song in my Dad’s heart. Anyone visiting his Face Book page knew his love for music, and especially the old hymns. I helped him publish his last hymn. Even though he couldn’t talk and was weakened from the stroke, he knew exactly which hymn to put on his page.
Wonderful, Wonderful Jesus
There is never a day so dreary, there is never a night so long, but the soul that is trusting Jesus will somewhere find a song. Wonderful, wonderful Jesus, In the heart he implanteth a song, A song of deliverance, of courage, of strength, in the heart he implanteth a song.
I share that story because the chorus we just finished singing [Heaven is a wonderful place, filled with glory and grace. I’m going to see my Saviors face; Heaven is a Glorious, Heaven is a Marvelous, Heaven is a Wonderful place.] was the last song my Dad sang this side of heaven. That was the same day that he called us four sons together to tell us that his time would be short and how much he’d enjoy our company for the remainder of his stay here on earth.
57 years of memories. 57 years of lessons Dad taught me. Some I’m still working on. Others I’ve forgotten, but some of the biggest lessons still ring true in my heart.
Lesson One: You can always come home. I think each of sons and at least one grandson took Dad literally on that by moving our families into his house. Looking back I don’t think Dad was inviting us to move our families into his house. He was teaching us though that no matter how many mistakes you’ve made and how much you struggle with life, Jesus always welcomes you home with open arms.
Lesson Two: Jesus forgives ALL sin. Too often we like to categorize sin by saying “Your sin is worse than mine’ or this sin isn’t as big as that sin. Dad showed me, especially in these last years that forgiveness was for ALL sin, ALL the time.
Lesson Three: Listen to the Spirit and follow his lead. Dad often told me the story of a time when he was prompted by the Spirit to make an unexpected stop at a friend’s house. A stop he didn’t want to take but a stop that resulted in several major events. People found Jesus. People were sent into ministry. Broken families were healed. All because of that one time when Dad chose to listen to the Spirit.
4. Lesson Four: God has forgiven you. Have you forgiven others? Have you forgiven God? It’s so easy to get angry when we are mistreated. It’s so easy to hold a grudge, refuse to forgive and promise retaliation. Those things only keep us imprisoned. Dad inspired us all to love and live freely.
There were many other lessons of course. Too many to mention. But perhaps the biggest lesson I learned from my Dad was never verbalized by him. In fact, if he were here today he’d probably not agree with me. You see, my Father was, to me, an example of my Heavenly Father. Don’t get me wrong. Dad wasn’t perfect. He ate too much ice cream and took too few walks. He confided in me some of the struggles in his own spiritual life. But he gave me a clear picture of my Heavenly Father because of his unconditional love for me.
In church circles we talk about a God who is our Heavenly Father. A Father that loves us regardless of what we do or say or think. While that is true, it’s sometimes hard to find a good example of that in our world. When we are young and afraid we look to our Daddies for support. As we grow older and struggle with life and things don’t work out the way we planned those closest to us may fail to support us because we don’t meet their expectations. No so my Dad.
My Dad walked me through some of the darkest, loneliest days of my entire life. He showed me love, forgiveness and acceptance when my choices disappointed him. Sometimes those choices were unintentional, sometimes they were the result of my own bull-headed Scandinavian heritage. Regardless of the choices I made, I learned that my dad loved me. I’m proud of my Dad and I know he was proud of me.
I had supper with my dad shortly after he entered Parmly Life Points Care Center. It was a Saturday evening and I was preaching the next morning. I was talking with him about my sermon and from time to time he’d try to interject some scripture I should use.
The gentleman across the table asked me, “Is your dad a pastor too?”
I smiled, “Yep, he’s been a pastor for…over 60 years.”
Dad corrected me very clearly, “67 years” He said slowly, “But God shut me up!”
I remember putting my hand on his shoulder and saying, No Dad, God hasn’t shut you up.
And so, I close with a request. Please help keep Dad’s message alive. His voice is now directed towards praising the Savior in heaven. But while his voice may be silenced here on earth, please keep his message, the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ; the message of grace, alive by showing others the patience, care, understanding and love that he showed so many of us.
Don’t shut up the message of Pastor Max.
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 