Safety

Happy Friday Friends!

I hope & trust this post finds you having a great day on this beautiful Friday afternoon on the Texas Gulf Coast! Been another beautifully blessed day watching Gehrig play in a baseball tournament during this, his Senior season! :)

It has taken me a while to share this post and I really don't know why. As I was thinking about what I would write about this week I felt this conviction in my Spirit saying, "Why are you afraid to write about that?" I don't really know what I am supposed to say or do...guess that means somebody probably needs to hear it.

As most of you are aware, on Wednesday, February 14th, a gunman attacked Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Sadly, 17 precious souls lost their lives that day. Being the Dad of a high school senior and a 7th grader, I thought it would be important for our family to talk about it that night at dinner. 

How do you have this conversation? What do you say? A school is supposed to be a safe place, a place where you can learn & grow. How do you have a conversation about the very real possibility that someone could come in and start shooting as many people as possible? As I thought about this, the narrative in my mind was something like, "If this happens, do whatever you can do to stay alive. Mom & I will get to you as soon as we can."

So with all my fatherly wisdom, I started the conversation with my precious family. We talked about what had happened, the need to be praying for the families of Stoneman Douglas H.S. and the Parkland community. I then said, "What do you do if something happens at your school?" Waiting for their responses so I could impart my incredible advice, I got taught, or perhaps reminded of, a great lesson by my 12-year old Tender Warrior, Landry. In full conviction, without a pause following my question, he looked me straight in the eye and said, "Dad, I have decided in my mind I am going to save as many people as I can." My jaw dropped, figuratively if not literally. His answer was right and perfect and so very far from where his Dads mind was going with this whole thing! Thank you Lord for giving me the honor & privilege of being the Dad of this Little Preacher who teaches me so very much!

Safety...it's a funny thing, isn't it? As much as we perhaps try to convince ourselves otherwise it really does not exist. We live in a fallen, broken world full of evil. That is real. The Bible does not promise us that we will be physically safe. I don't have to look very hard in the Bible to find men & women far more Godly than I who suffered death and great physical harm. If they were not "safe" why should I think I would be? The Bible tells us in Matthew 10:28, "And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell."

Interestingly, this is not the first time I have had a conviction about safety. A couple of years ago, when I was hopping on an airplane every other week for work, I started to really feel a conviction about praying for more than just safety on these trips. Yes, I still prayed for traveling mercies however so much more than that, I wanted to be useful to God on those trips. To not be so wrapped up in safety that I missed the lost, the hurting, the broken. I actually asked my small group to pray for me when I traveled, that I would be useful to God.

There are two verses that are bouncing around in my mind right now...

Referred to as "The Greatest Commandment", Matthew 22: 34 - 40 says this; "Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 'Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?' Jesus replied: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

And how do you love your neighbor as yourself? Are you surprised that the Bible has an answer to this question?!?!

John 15: 13 says, "There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends."

Maybe the laying down of one's life is physical, perhaps financial or it could even be laying aside our hopes & aspirations for another. While I would never wish any of us to be placed in a situation like those in Parkland, or any one of the numerous other places evil has reared its head recently, I do pray that should we find ourselves in those situations that we would have the strength & courage to save as many as we possibly can. Thank you for the reminder Landry, you are a great Tender Warrior and I am honored to be your Dad.

Please don't hesitate to contact me if there is ever anything I can do for you or your families. I will always help you any way I can. You can reach me at kevin@whatwillyourinfluencebe.com.

Have a great day, a wonderful weekend and please cherish your precious families.

Kev