“Hear then the parable of the sower: 19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. 20 As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, 21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. 22 As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. 23 As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty."
A young woman plans to have baby. She goes into a local pregnancy clinic to obtain a confirmation of pregnancy for government assistance. ( A typical pregnancy and delivery has out of pocket expenses today of $10,000 even for insurance employees.) She tells of a Christian upbringing with some of the world's troubles. And she states she attends Church with her family, but now has an interest of one God found through many religions. She isn't open for suggestions until the Church lady (from SNL) is mentioned. When told that people in her generation know so little about Jesus and the Bible they actually believe that this is Christianity, she agrees that is Very sad. A lost Christianity. A prayer is said that her cry of sadness will be remembered as the child is raised. All prayer is appreciated from Father God, any time we see a need, so pray along!
This woman was raised as a Christian and her seeds of faith have fallen along the way. Ideas will be discussed, but it will be a seeking, from her description, and not a feeling of being found and saved. She believes in the Christian idea of Heaven and hell, but there isn't the joy of discovery and knowing.
The Stranger
A few years after I was born, my Dad met a stranger
who was new to our small town. From the beginning,
Dad was fascinated with this enchanting newcomer
and soon invited him to live with our family. The
stranger was quickly accepted and was around
from then on.
As I grew up, I never questioned his place in my
family. In my young mind, he had a special niche.
My parents were complementary instructors: Mom
taught me good from evil, and Dad taught me to obey.
But the stranger... he was our storyteller. He would
keep us spellbound for hours on end with adventures,
mysteries and comedies.
If I wanted to know anything about politics, history
or science, he always knew the answers about the past,
understood the present and even seemed able to predict
the future! He took my family to the first major league
ball game. He made me laugh, and he made me cry. The
stranger never stopped talking, but Dad didn't seem to mind.
Sometimes, Mom would get up quietly while the rest of
us were shushing each other to listen to what he had to
say, and she would go to the kitchen for peace and quiet.
(I wonder now if she ever prayed for the stranger to leave.)
Dad ruled our household with certain moral convictions,
but the stranger never felt obligated to honor them.
Profanity, for example, was not allowed in our home - not
from us, our friends or any visitors. Our long time visitor,
however, got away with four-letter words that burned my
ears and made my dad squirm and my mother blush.
My Dad didn't permit the liberal use of alcohol but the
stranger encouraged us to try it on a regular basis. He made
cigarettes look cool, cigars manly, and pipes distinguished.
He talked freely (much too freely!) about sex. His comments
were sometimes blatant, sometimes suggestive, and generally
embarrassing. I now know that my early concepts about relationships were
influenced strongly by the stranger. Time after time, he opposed the values of my parents, yet he was seldom rebuked ... And NEVER asked to leave.
More than fifty years have passed since the stranger moved
in with our family. He has blended right in and is not nearly
as fascinating as he was at first. Still, if you could walk into
my parents' den today, you would still find him sitting over
in his corner, waiting for someone to listen to him talk and
watch him draw his pictures.
His name?....
We just call him 'TV.'
(Note: This should be required
reading for every household!)
He has a wife now....we call her 'Computer.'
Their first child is "Cell Phone".
Second child "I Pod"
And JUST BORN THIS YEAR WAS a Grandchild:
"IPAD"
OH MY-
We love to remember the Prodigal Son and place ourselves in the story. But the seeds remind us ..... we move. We can sit in Church and be angry with the LORD. We can sit in Church and be judgmental or complacent. How are we different in our beliefs and actions when we were 12 years old and on the brink of adulthood?
The point is to remember - this is about being the Light. To help where we can, pray and feel excellent about it where there isn't a solution for us to apply. Prayer is not the fall back. Prayer is the beginning. I prayed for a clerk at a store who needed a good doctor. I prayed for that doctor to reach out to the woman. My son and his girlfriend ran after a homeless man in his 30s at the Houston Astos Baseball Stadium, to give him aid. Who ever heard of such a young, handsome man being homeless and hurt. People walked past him as he stared at the concrete in front of the ticket window. My mom has given money at a Dallas Arboretum window when a young father acknowledged to his wife that he didn’t have the funds to pay for the tickets. He was so embarrassed. “Oh, ma’am you don’t need to do that!” My mom replied, she’d been left outside the ticket gates herself. When we feel pressed upon ourselves, perhaps that is the best time to look to see how others are. I know this week, a situation I would not want has brought about more communication than I've seen in a good long time. Providing a bridge and a gratitude so profound, it will not be swept away.
In a time of trouble, God is good. It is up to us to remember not to soak, but to bear fruit.
It is up to us who have children - remember about seeds shifting in people’s lives. They have questions about the faith and they want you to know. Things like why did God have kosher? God had kosher because during the Iron Age, the age of King David, children of Israel lived to be in their 50s. The rest of the world was dying in their early 20s. Kosher saved the women in the Exodus in childbearing.
God wants us to think about seeds shifting as we raise our children. To talk about difficulties in life and to talk about things like sobriety, honoring the older generation, problem solving and learning to trusting and lean on God. God wants you to teach your children, looking for the teachable moments. Reading the Scripture opens us up to what is going on in the people around us.
Father God, today, I ask You, what would you have these hands do? Let me do it. Let my heart pray. And help me to do Your will. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen!
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