Sometimes, I like to read CNN's Belief Blog. There are lots of opinions and thoughts about God in the world, and I like to read about what others think.
What I don't like to read are the comments. Typically they are filled with vitriol and hate speech. You know, the kind we Christians get accused of more and more often these days? And usually, as I scroll down through (apparently I'm a glutton for punishment) there's the person who says that anyone who believes in God is simply uneducated and a product of their Bible-belt wielding parents.
I have to chuckle at that one.
I'm a believer.
But I wasn't raised that way.
My Dad was in the military and we were never home. We usually lived at the minimum 4-5 hours away from family, and sometimes more. Like as in, living in a whole different country more.
Although my parents weren't believers, my Dad's parents were. So the few times we were able to come home and see family, my Papaw would take me to church with him. And in between times, he would pray for me and my brothers, and my Mom and Dad. But there was more going on than just the church-going and the praying...there was also the every day living.
1 Corinthians 2:14-17 says this:
"14 But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. 15 For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; 16 to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life. And who is adequate for these things? 17 For we are not like many, peddling the word of God, but as from sincerity, but as from God, we speak in Christ in the sight of God."
Paul didn't know it at the time, but he was writing about my Papaw right there. The man exuded the aroma of Christ, and us grandkids inhaled it much like the way a drowning man gulps in oxygen.
And so, one night long ago, I knelt down in my backyard underneath a star-studded Texas sky. And for the first time I understood that God was real. And I was not alone. As a result of that tiny awakening, twenty-three years later, I would watch my parents come to Christ.
But I never would have believed, if I hadn't seen faith in action in the life of my Papaw.
The fact that my children have been raised with a firm foundation under them...
The fact that their children after them will be raised with a firm foundation under them...
Started with the prayers of a humble man who often lived thousands of miles from his grand-daughter, and who usually saw her once every two years.
My whole family, and the generations that will come after, is a witness to the power of what one faithful man's testimony can bring about.
Butterbean and I, we rock and sing. We play with fingers, and tickle tummies, and point at pretty flowers and all the while I tell her Jesus loves her. But the telling is not enough. There has to be the living.
My prayer today is that the living and the working and the breathing will fully live up to the task to plant the Eternal once again into new and precious ground.
So Lord, let the aroma of You flow out of me, and let the dying breathe You in. As You did for me, do for those I love and come into contact with. On earth as it is in Heaven, amen.
(How do you exude Christ to your littles? I'd love to know. Leave a comment and let's encourage one another.)
Shayne, This is sooooo goood:):) To answer the question at the end, I'd like to share an example similar to the story of your "Papaw". My grandfather and grandmother(mom's side of the family) would always tell us kids that Jesus loved us. When we were sick, they laid hands on us and prayed for us.They would take us to church whenever we would visit them. They would sit down with us and teach us daily devotions and prayer. They would sit down with us and read the Word. Whenever a situation arose, Grandpa would say "What does God's Word say about this?" He or Grandma would look up the verses pertaining to the situation, and the solution would be found. They would teach us to pray for others. They lived the life, the aroma of God flowed out of them. A person could not walk into a room where my grandparents were and not realize the presence of God. I will forever remember those times. Based on this example, I'd say the best way to exude Christ to the "littles" is live the life, teach them the Word, pray with them and for them,love them unconditionally, and do this every day. Another thing that may be extremely obvious, Grandpa and Grandma were in agreement, period. That is so important.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your heart Darrell. I appreciate it. Your grandparents sound like they were amazing people. Hope y'all are doing well. Stop by anytime!
ReplyDeleteI had almost the complete opposite experience to you, Shayne. I grew up with a father that took us to Church, but didn't live his life the way they talked about in said Church. And a mom who went but didn't believe. I grew up getting in a house built on sand, but was brought up to have a house built on the Rock. Simply because, although he didn't live his life outwardly the way he professed to inwardly, God was clearly speaking into my father's heart. And thank the Good Lord, he was listening.
ReplyDeleteI hope to pass on a foundation built on the Rock to my littles by simply living outwardly what I profess to believe inwardly. It's harder than I ever could have imagined it to be. And more worthy a goal than I ever understood. Until children came along... :)
Hey there MissIndeedy...thank you so much for stopping by and for sharing. Raising children is not for wimps. I think one of the most important things our children can see from us is that even when we fall down, we get back up again. That's real. Keep walking it out. You can do this!
DeleteHey there Missindeedy! Thanks for stopping by and sharing! Raising kids is not for wimps. I think one of the most important things they can see from us is when we fall down, we get back up again. That's real. So keep walking it out. You can do this!
DeleteHi "Mimi",
ReplyDeleteJB passed along your link, and I like how you express your heart in the written word...I am a southern girl at heart and kinda feel like I just met you over a glass of sweet tea! I look forward to reading more!
Hey Kimberly! Thanks for reading and for your sweet words. I always keep a pitcher of sweet tea in the Frigidaire so feel free to stop by anytime!
ReplyDeleteOur Papaw...how I wish everyone I knew, knew him. I describe him to people and they must think I'm crazy. I go on and on in an effort to make sure they understand the depth of how awesome he was...and in the end, I know I can never fully do him justice. Without knowing him, you can't really understand how truly amazing he was. We were so blessed to have him as our Pap!
ReplyDeleteAs for the rap of Christians....It seems hip to be any "RELIGION" but not hip to be a Christian. As a Christian, if I say anything negative about another, I'm a hypocrite, awful and accused of "hate speech". But if another person wants to say TERRIBLE HATE FILLED things about a Christian...they are just giving their rightful opinion.
Christians are humans...we aren't perfect. We make mistakes. If you've had a bad experience with a Christian...don't write the rest of us off, we aren't all one person. We should LOVE you, be gracious to you and show you kindness. If we don't, it's not because we are Christians...it's because we are not perfect. We serve a God who is...and thankfully, he loves us in-spite of ourselves.
My thought...if you are a Christian, don't judge someone who is not...LOVE THEM and show them why you are.