children

Are We There Yet Dad?

/ pastorpete51 / 6 Comments

Be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” Hebrews 13:5b-6 ESV

When our two boys were about four and six years old, my wife and I decided to travel cross country to stay with some friends, while enjoying a bit of camping along the way. “Okay guys we are going to Missouri.” I explained to the boys. “We will be traveling for three days and will be sleeping in our tents for two nights along the way. Don’t worry about when we get there, just enjoy the ride, play games and don’t fight! “I told them enthusiastically.

The next morning with our little car packed to the max, we headed down the highway. I felt confident we were well prepared for our first big family road trip until about twenty minutes down the highway when our older son tapped me on the shoulder and asked.  Hey Dad. Are we there yet?” I can’t remember if I laughed or cried, but either way I saw that, despite my best efforts, I had not communicated very well with our boys about the road ahead. I am sure many of you have experienced this same scenario and have discovered that whether we laugh, pull our hair out or try repeating our explanations, our kids aren’t satisfied with details. What they really want is a regular assurance that everything is okay – every mile along the way. It is the same with us as we travel the Christian life with God. But the wonderful difference between God and me is that He didn’t just give us an explanation of the road map; He promised to stay with us and guide us every mile along the way!

Meeting Martha

/ pastorpete51 / 6 Comments

Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. John 11:5 KJV

Once when we were vacationing in Amish country, we decided to take a detour on a back road just for fun. Seeing a farm stand being tended by a little red-haired girl, I parked the car and we got out and began to browse through bins of fresh vegetables, homemade jams, pies and cookies. “Good morning!” I said smiling, while my wife was picking out a bag of cookies. As I went to pay for them, I asked, “And what’s your name?”

“Oh, my name is Martha.” The little girl answered quietly

Strassburg Area

“Well, I ‘ve got good news for you Martha.” I continued. The Bible says that Jesus loved Martha and her sister Mary and her brother, so you can know for sure that he loves you!”

In the children’s song it says, “Jesus loves me this I know; for the Bible tells me so.” Have you ever wondered where the Bible says that?” The answer is that His love is mentioned everywhere! It says, He knit us together before we were born, and He promises to carry us till old age. He is near us when we are broken hearted and gives us strength when we are weak. He gives streams in the desert when we are thirsty and provides daily bread when we are hungry. On every Bible page we can find His love. The song then goes on saying, “Little ones to Him belong.” So, if today you feel as small as the little Martha we met at the farm stand, then you are exactly who Jesus came to love and He is passing by you today!

An Amazing Meeting with Mr. Turtle!

/ pastorpete51 / 4 Comments

Now, Laban may have been a lousy father-in-law to Jacob, but he was a bang-up grandpa. There wasn’t a snowball’s chance in you know where, that Jacob was taking his grandkids away without Laban having a chance to shower them with kisses one more time! I understand Laban a bit because over the last week we have been hosting our son, daughter-in-law and five grandchildren in our not so huge house. Though it was pretty cramped quarters, we hated to see them leave yesterday. Because they live so far away, we make the most of every moment we have together. The kids loved going with us to the beach, the park and the community pool, but I treasure most our morning walks.

Whether it is making cookies together or lining up for the Good Humor man, each of us who are grandparents appreciate different kinds of little moments. They are precious, not because of what we are doing, but because of who we are doing them with. Jesus taught us that God is our Almighty Father in Heaven, but in some ways, God is also like a grandfather, who treasures spending small, not so mighty moments with us. I learned a little of this one recent morning walking by a pond with our grandchildren. We had stopped while I explained the difference between an Egret and a Heron who were standing on the bank. Then as I cautioned them about not getting too close to the edge, I noticed a tiny head popping up above the water about ten feet from shore. “Look a turtle!” I said excitedly. I had seen other turtles sunning themselves near there on the grass before, but they had always slipped quickly into the water on my approach. But that day to my amazement, Mr. (or Mrs.) Turtle made a beeline for our granddaughter. It eagerly climbed up out of the pond, then waddled right up to her!

Christian and Madeline meeting Mr. Turtle.

Whether this was someone’s lost pet turtle or just the result of people feeding it breadcrumbs I do not know. What I suspect, is that God knew we would be walking by that spot at that exact hour and orchestrated a special event. His heart delights watching us as we pause to admire the tiniest detail of creation. He isn’t just the God of the gigantic universe; He is also the God who enjoys surprising us with small demonstrations of His goodness. Just like Laban God hunts us down, not to destroy us, but to embrace us and send us on with His blessing. Why not slow down long enough this morning to allow Him to amaze you with what He has in store for today?