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August 24, 2005
He Keeps My Feet From Failling...
"For You have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, and my feet from falling."
Psalm 116:8
This past week, my sons James (known as James the Hungrier, 22) and Caleb (known as Caleb of the Mountain, 8) were invited to go to one of our sister churches in California to support their 2005 Father-Son Conference. I was asked to share messages with those gathered on passing on a Godly heritage, raising sons, and the encouragement we can have by studying history.
Taking my sons along with me for this adventure in the California mountains was a joy! With the challenges of life we face, we do not often find time for this type of fellowship. In addition, James represented an opportunity for the men to test my words. He was peppered with questions about his upbringing and his commitment to the faith once delivered. I sat back listening to many of these conversations with a bit of unease. After all, my oldest son is his own man with his own thoughts, reflections and beliefs. While he is an active member of the church I pastor, not to mention my son, I was not going to commandeer these examinations, instead I listened in, looking at these providential dialogs as a sort of personal review. The men were pleased with James’ answers, proving once again that although I am by no means a perfect father, God is faithful to the desires of our hearts and has worked through my failings to help me raise a son who has received the Scepter of Faith.
Caleb likewise was inspected, his speech and manners were noted. Caleb is a typical 8 year old boy, with an admiration for mud puddles and a propensity for a good sword fight. Never one to back down from a challenge, Caleb threw himself wholeheartedly into every skirmish, swimming in 50 degree ponds and scaling hills and mountains with his new friends. At the end of our time together, one parent commented, “We have decided to send our children to you for a month to learn manners. No matter what we do, we can’t get them to say ‘Sir of Ma’am’ like Caleb does.”
One of our activities while away was the assault on a rock wall. At first, I sat with the other “elders” of the group, watching the younger set brave the heights. Then my son James donned the helmet and harness and climbed, or should I say sprinted, to the top of the wall. A few minutes later, Caleb, following the example of his older brother, achieved success by ringing the bell. Now, I had a moment of decision. Should I stay safe at the bottom of the wall or should I show my sons that Dad still can keep up? I chose to dare the wall.
I was not as fast as James; instead I worked the wall, testing foot and handholds to make sure I was secure before going on. At least I thought I was secure. Halfway up, my grip slipped and I fell. The picture shown is of me just before falling. Of course, I was secure by a harness, but I still slammed against the wall, receiving in my flesh a number of deep splinters as compensation for my foolhardiness. I reestablished my footing and worked to the top of the wall, completing my task.
This adventure reminded me of my fathering. My sons are both on their way to being fathers some day, men who will honor God and raise their own children to know the Savior. In essence, they will stand on my shoulders, practicing what they have seen me do. My efforts to raise them have not been faultless; I have certainly had parental missteps. But my goal has always been to see my children be better Christians than I, to live more honorably and consistently for the Lord. As I strived to show them Christ, I have certainly struggled and slipped, but the God who knows my heart is the God who keeps me from falling. He holds me in His Hands.
As we work to homeschool our children, teaching them in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, let us always do so recognizing our true security, our only confidence, rests in knowing He keeps our feet from falling.
Posted by jm at 05:11 AM | Comments (1)