I hope and trust this post finds you all having a great day
as a glorious new day begins to dawn in my Sweet Home Alabama!
This morning, I want to share a real conviction of my Spirit
that has been profound to me. I thought it would perhaps be a blessing to some
of you as well.
I have 3 great Tender Warriors, my sons, and I am so very
proud of them. Every morning, I pray for each one of them. In addition to
praying that they would become the godly men, husbands, fathers, leaders, and
friends God created them to become, I pray for their safety. Not one of us is
promised the end of this day, let alone tomorrow. I fully understand this
truth. Having said that, I have two sons with careers more dangerous than most.
And while they are big, strong, and tough, they are still my boys, and they
always will be.
So, as I was praying for one of the Tender Warriors in
particular, praying for the safety of him and his coworkers, I felt this
conviction: “Aren’t you grateful he's really living?” You see, there is zero
doubt in my mind that he is doing exactly what he is supposed to be doing, what
God created him to do. And while I certainly don’t want him to be hurt or
killed, the only thing I would consider to be worse than that is if he never
lived. Lived the God-ordained, Christ-honoring life that he was created to live.
To me, that would be a far greater tragedy.
A couple of things:
1.
As parents, let us
remember that our children are on loan; God is going to need them back someday.
We have the unspeakable honor, privilege, and responsibility – please don’t
miss that last part; I do believe we will all be accountable to God for how we have
loved, led, and cared for our children! – of stewarding these precious souls.
God created them uniquely, for a purpose, just as he has created you and me for
ours. We could put them in bubble-wrapped rooms, never let them go outside, and
we could do our darndest to make sure nothing, or no one ever hurts them. We
may in fact accomplish that goal, our goal, however God’s goal for them is far
different. His goal for each of us is for us to grow into all that He created
us to be.
2.
Are you really living?
This has been eye-opening as a parent, and it has forced me to look at my life.
What am I not doing because I don’t want to be hurt? Absolutely true; if I take
no risks, if I don’t go for it, I will not fail. But isn’t not trying to become
all that I am created to become really the greatest failure? Just as I believe
we will be held accountable for how we loved, led, and served the people God
has placed in our lives, I believe you and I will be held accountable to God
for the talents, gifts, abilities, and dreams He created us to accomplish. My
heartfelt prayer for all of us is that we will truly live this blessed life to
the fullest! No, I don’t wish anything bad to happen to any of us. More
importantly, I pray none of us simply exists, never knowing the joy of truly
being alive.
Now, I get that this might be tough for some of you to read.
Truly, while it makes sense to me, those are still my boys, and I am still
their Dad…I have to go to Jesus every day! There are a couple of scriptures and
quotes that speak to my heart.
Job 14:5 (NIV)
5 A person’s days are determined; you have decreed the
number of his months and have set limits he cannot exceed.
Matthew 6:27 (NIV)
27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your
life[a]?
As much as we might not like it, the Bible tells us that our
days are numbered. And please realize that it is Jesus in Matthew 6:27 who is
asking the question. So, we can sit here and worry and worry, which will not
add even a single hour to our lives or our children's, or we can live and
cherish every day.
Ephesians 2:10 (NIV)
10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do
good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Those two thoughts, that our days are determined and we are
all created for a purpose, comfort and inspire me! God has this, all of it! Our
responsibility is to make the most of every day, and every talent, gift,
ability, and dream He has given us. Not to be crass, the reality is we are all
going to die someday. It would be tragic to never have lived!
These two quotes sum up my intentions and my heartfelt
prayer for my Beautiful Bride and Tender Warriors!
“Life should not be a journey to the grave with the
intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to
skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out,
and loudly proclaiming, 'Wow! ' " What a Ride!” - Hunter S. Thompson
“When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope
that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, 'I used
everything you gave me.” - Erma Bombeck
Please don’t hesitate to contact me if there's anything I
can do for you or your precious family. I will always help you in any way I
can. You can reach me at kevin@whatwillyourinfluencebe.com.
Have a great day and a wonderful weekend. Please cherish
your precious family, be kind, and please stay well!
Kev
