I used to hate getting a Charlie horse in my leg. I did not realize that there was anything I could do about it until a friend told me to grab the end of my toes and stretch the muscle in order to bring relief. I was amazed at how quickly it worked.
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Our little boys sometimes get Charlie horses in their legs as well. I realized this when our first child woke up during the night crying. We tried feeding him and changing his diaper but nothing seemed to help. He had no fever or symptoms of teething, so we figured he was just being fussy for no good reason. I must admit that I was running out of sympathy for the little guy because I wanted to go back to bed. Then I saw him pointing at his foot. Suddenly I had an idea- maybe he has a Charlie horse. I carefully pushed on the end of his foot and he pushed back with his little leg and then instantly calmed down.
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We were recently driving home late in the evening. The boys had been playing hard all day and quickly fell asleep. Suddenly our 3 year old woke up crying. We asked him what was wrong and in his sleepy voice he said that he wanted to play. Usually he sits in his car seat without complaint so we thought this was strange- especially considering how tired he was. Crystal tried calming him down, but he continued to fuss. It was almost one of those “Daddy is going to pull the car over” moments, when we figured out that he had a Charlie horse. As soon as she pushed on his foot he settled down and went back to sleep. I figure that he wanted to get out and play so that he could stretch is leg.
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Children should be expected to behave. In fact, Ephesians 6:1 says, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.” At the same time parents also have a responsibility toward their children. Just a few verses later we read, “And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.” (Ephesians 6:4 NKJV)
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If I had pulled over and disciplined my 3 year old for fussing over a Charlie horse, I would have been provoking him to wrath instead of helping him.
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Imagine if my treatment of my son had ended up shaping his view of God. Imagine if I had disciplined him when he actually needed my help. He might end up thinking that God was like that and that He only wanted to hurt him when he was in trouble instead of helping him.
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I, as a father, do not always know or understand my children’s needs. Before they are able to talk, I do not always know where they hurt or why, but our God knows everything. He, like a good father, disciplines us and holds us accountable for our actions, but He also understands our true needs and loves us so much that He sent His only begotten son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16).
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God is not like the dad who just lets his kids get by with anything, but He is not the cruel father who beats his kids or yells at them for every little thing either. He is a God who lovingly holds us accountable and also lovingly cares for us. Further He is a God who forgives us even when we do wrong, mercifully allowing us back into fellowship with Him as we trust Christ’s payment for our sins.
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I realize that I will never be the perfect father, but God is.
Monday, July 29, 2013
Sunday, July 14, 2013
John Deere & Jesus Christ
My lawnmower quit working. It was not a total surprise, since it was about 35 years old and I knew the engine was getting weak. The fact that it lasted that long is a testimony that John Deere has made some decent mowers through the years. Still, I was discouraged that my day was messed up and the grass was getting longer.
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It is not unusual for us to face such challenges in life. Maybe the car won’t start or you have a flat tire. Perhaps the problem is more serious, such as a job loss or an illness. Learning to trust God with the little things like a broken lawn mower can help us to face the bigger challenges in life.
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Romans 5:1-4 says, “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope“ (NKJV).
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If my trust were in John Deere rather than Jesus Christ, my whole world would have fallen apart when the lawn mower would not run. Because I have peace with God through Jesus Christ, I realize that His grace is sufficient for the trials of life.
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In fact, as Romans 5:3 says, I can actually glory in tribulations. In other words I can boast as I rejoice about the problems I face. I am not talking about being a masochist. I do not look forward to problems- instead I realize that when they do come, I can trust God and even allow Him to use them in my life.
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As I look at Romans 5:3-4, I understand that God used these trials to help me persevere so that I have the sort of enduring patience that will allow me to better face the larger challenges in life. “And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope“ (Romans 5:3-4 NKJV).
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Not only are patience and character built up through the trials in life, but as we come through them, we realize that there is hope. When I could not get the lawn mower running, I decided to go to Craigslist and find one that would get me by until I could get the other one fixed. I thought I had found one, but that led to another trial because when we showed up to look at it, it would not start. Suddenly, the seller was facing an even greater trial than I was as he shared his embarrassment.
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I did not buy that lawnmower from him, but I found something even better- the stranger trying to sell his lawn mower became my friend. Friends are far better than lawnmowers. This is a great reminder that even in trials there is hope.
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The story gets even better. When I called my brother and told him of my problems, he told me that he had an extra mower that wasn’t in the best of shape but it would probably work for a while. I went to pick it up, but stopped at a Snapper dealer on the way and found a really nice used mower at an excellent price- such a good price that it was not worth fixing up my old mower. Not all our trials work out as good as this one did, but it is a reminder that we can trust God and have hope even when things are not going so well.
-
It is not unusual for us to face such challenges in life. Maybe the car won’t start or you have a flat tire. Perhaps the problem is more serious, such as a job loss or an illness. Learning to trust God with the little things like a broken lawn mower can help us to face the bigger challenges in life.
-
Romans 5:1-4 says, “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope“ (NKJV).
-
If my trust were in John Deere rather than Jesus Christ, my whole world would have fallen apart when the lawn mower would not run. Because I have peace with God through Jesus Christ, I realize that His grace is sufficient for the trials of life.
-
In fact, as Romans 5:3 says, I can actually glory in tribulations. In other words I can boast as I rejoice about the problems I face. I am not talking about being a masochist. I do not look forward to problems- instead I realize that when they do come, I can trust God and even allow Him to use them in my life.
-
As I look at Romans 5:3-4, I understand that God used these trials to help me persevere so that I have the sort of enduring patience that will allow me to better face the larger challenges in life. “And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope“ (Romans 5:3-4 NKJV).
-
Not only are patience and character built up through the trials in life, but as we come through them, we realize that there is hope. When I could not get the lawn mower running, I decided to go to Craigslist and find one that would get me by until I could get the other one fixed. I thought I had found one, but that led to another trial because when we showed up to look at it, it would not start. Suddenly, the seller was facing an even greater trial than I was as he shared his embarrassment.
-
I did not buy that lawnmower from him, but I found something even better- the stranger trying to sell his lawn mower became my friend. Friends are far better than lawnmowers. This is a great reminder that even in trials there is hope.
-
The story gets even better. When I called my brother and told him of my problems, he told me that he had an extra mower that wasn’t in the best of shape but it would probably work for a while. I went to pick it up, but stopped at a Snapper dealer on the way and found a really nice used mower at an excellent price- such a good price that it was not worth fixing up my old mower. Not all our trials work out as good as this one did, but it is a reminder that we can trust God and have hope even when things are not going so well.
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