“Erin, You Are a Child of God!”
“Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” Eph 6:4 (ESV)
Some years ago my daughter became friends with Erin. They were and still are BFF’s in the world of texting but for us older folk that would be Best Friends Forever. Erin has, overtime, become the older daughter that my wife, Kathy, and I never had. She drives our son nuts just like a sister should do and she has no problem rebuking him when he is wrong. It has been my daughters, Karen, privilege to lead Erin to Jesus; it is my privilege to be allowed to call her my sister in Christ. We have joked in the past about her being my surrogate daughter and in turn she calls me her surrogate father.
Lately Erin has been challenged by the world that surrounds her outside of our home. Her mom had her fill of a husband and father who is disconnected. This man is at a place where I once was and there is a major firewall of protection against the grace of God. This past summer Erin was able to spend ten days on the grounds of Americas Keswick with our family. Erin knows that I had gone through a place called “The Colony of Mercy” but she really didn’t understand the impact it can have until she heard the testimonies of the men who were there during this time. She was moved to write her father a letter asking him to consider what he is doing to her and come to the Colony. I don’t know how that was received but I do not believe that this father wants to walk away from his daughter. It’s in God’s hands now.
The most recent event has been the death of her uncle, her mom’s baby brother. He was killed in car crash where…speed and…were a factor. Her uncle was in the passenger seat and there are two other young men clinging on to life at the time of this writing. The news of this has stunned a whole community with a wide range of walks in life. This young man had a great impact on the people he was surrounded by. He also had sole custody of his two young daughters. Their mom made choices that have left her disconnected and away from the grace of God. My daughter spends time with these two young girls and I pray her impact is being felt. Karen is only thirteen but she preaches Jesus better in her actions than I could do with my words in any Freedom Fighter.
My wife, daughter and I went to Erin’s uncles viewing and it was crowded. The receiving line encompassed every square inch inside the funeral home and went at least two blocks along the street. This young man’s life was transformed to a DVD that was played on television screens around the funeral home while his daughters walked around and greeted people. I have never seen anything like it before. For has many tears that were being shed were as many laughs being shared. “Kevin had such a positive impact” I said to myself, “I wonder if he knows Jesus” was my following thought. And at that moment we were approached by Erin’s mom. Then she was interrupted by the funeral director who was accompanied by a Methodist minister. “I think Jesus just sent me His answer” and then we moved along with the line.
I know when things have settled down we will be seeing Erin again and I am not too sure how she will be. For the moment she is holding her own but then again… So here is what needs to be said this morning. Fathers, be there for your daughters. They look to us to see what kind of husband they marry. It is a fragile thing for us men to realize but if we are not careful with our walk with Christ our daughters may wind up with a husband that reflects the unwanted garbage that Jesus sought to have us remove. And father’s pray for and with your daughters. They need to see and hear you do that. Lastly, don’t be afraid to show them you have a heart, because they need to see your connection to them. – Chris Hughes is a regular contributor to Freedom Fighter and a graduate of the Colony of Mercy
Compass Pointers: “One afternoon, as we were exiting the Jaffa gate, we found ourselves behind an orthodox Jewish family—a father and three small girls. One of the daughters, perhaps four or five years of age, fell a few steps behind and couldn’t see her father. “Abba!” she called to him. He spotted her and immediately extended his hand. When the signal changed, he led her and her sisters through the intersection. In the middle of the street, he reached down and swung her up into his arms and continued their journey. Isn’t that what we all need? An abba who will hear us when we call? Who will take our hand when we are weak? Who will guide us through the hectic intersections of life? Don’t we all need an abba who will swing us up into his arms and carry us home? We all need a father.” The Great House of God Max Lucado
Anchored to the Rock: There is a great difference between praying to God about something and mentioning it to him in passing. – John Blanchard
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