So this week my mind was a bit preoccupied. For obvious reasons I guess. It’s so strange to know that I’ll never be able to call my Dad again. We had a rough go for lots of years, but the last 10 or so were real good. I am so thankful that we were able to make amends and put the past behind us. I have no regrets about his passing, other than the fact that we here are left to deal with the grief and anguish that goes along with this kind of deal. I know all the clichés…he’s in a better place…no more pain…no more suffering. All that stuff is so true. But we only get one father here on earth. And now mine is gone. No more football chats in the fall. No more lots of things. But the cool thing about it all is that I’ll see him again someday. I’m as sure as I can be about that. I’ll see him again, along with my sister Cindy who left 10 years ago. And all the others who have gone before him. I’ll see ‘em again.
I prayed this morning that I could use Dad’s passing as an example to our friends downtown. You see, when I was born my Dad was an alcoholic. When I got my first report card? Alcoholic. I’ll never forget coming up the street, must have been 1969, with my very first report card from grade school. The car was parked really weird in the driveway. Against a tree. Good thing the tree was there or it would have rolled down our fairly steep driveway into the street and who knows what. So I remember going in the house, so proud of my first grades. And I found my father "asleep" on the couch. Only he wasn’t sleeping. That is really one of my first conscious memories. The thing is, he was in the throes of an addiction. I read a blog recently by a homeless fellow in Nashville. The main point of the blog was that homelessness is not caused by addictions or alcoholism. Homelessness, it seems, is simply a byproduct of the addiction. I think it’s safe to say that there is always a root cause when it comes to various addictions. I don’t know what my Dad’s root problem was. I only know what I saw growing up. And when we left my father in 1976 to move back to Omaha, we became estranged in a sense. I spoke with over the years, but the relationship was strained at best. Then a strange thing happened. Robin and I had our first child. This kid talked so much, I had to share the wealth! For some reason, I didn’t think it would be fair to Christian if I imposed my relationship baggage on him. I thought it was important for him to know who his Grandpa was. Through that, God blessed me with a new relationship with my Father. Over the course of the next ten years or so, our relationship grew to the point that we not only put the past behind us, we began to look forward to the future. And it was good again. God has a way of doing that.
Today, when we got downtown, there was quite a crowd of people waiting for us. I didn’t make it down last week because of my Dad’s illness and passing and the fact that I was in a car on my way to Alabama.. So when we pulled up today, there was a round of applause, as strange as that may seem. Our friends were welcoming us back. It was pretty humbling. And then, when we were set up and ready to go, I was able to briefly share with them that "it" can happen anytime. I spent all of 2 minutes just explaining that my Dad was gone, but he was "in a better place". He was right with the Big Guy. And for each and every one of them to be there also. Make it right with God. We prayed as we always do, and immediately I hear this - "Good message. That was a good message". It is so simple. And we had not a single issue today. At least nothing to write home about. It just all came off how God would have it, I suppose. I was able to relay a few words about a real life situation and at least some of them got it. It wasn’t a message. It’s life. Life with Christ. And that’s the only way I can make it work anymore.
One last thing. We know a young fellow who just happens to share the same name as my oldest son, Christian. This young man, I believe he’s 10 years old, has begun selling soap. Now that may sound a bit odd, but it’s not so much. The brand name? Starfish Soap. It’s an organic soap that is actually a bit on the expensive side, but its good stuff. He has promised 10% of his profits to this crazy ministry that has become such a big part of our lives. Here’s the kicker though. He recently pitched his soap to a grocery chain here in town. Hy-Vee is a Midwestern chain that is not unlike your normal grocery store. In this case, the manager of our local Hy-Vee has agreed to sell Starfish Soap. I have no idea what this means. I just know that a young man had an idea and God has blessed him with the means to be a part of our ministry in yet another way that continually blows my mind. I simply cannot believe the many different ways that people have contributed to God’s work in that downtown park. I was doing a morning devotional this week and I came across a piece of scripture, Acts 5:12-42. The gist of it was this - The apostles were facing a hearing but they were released after a wise individual argued that they should be let go. If the work they were doing was of their own doing, they would fail. If it was of God, they wouldn’t be able to stop them anyway. I see that happening on this downtown corner. It is clearly not of our doing. It is so clearly God at work. I mean, Starfish Soap? Are you kidding me? What next??!!
It’s been a strange week. 1000 miles to Alabama last Sunday. 1000 miles back on Friday. And the funeral of my Father right smack in the middle. And this morning was a little tough. The emotions come in waves. And then I’m reminded that it’s all part of the gig here. "It" happens. I just hope and pray that our friends get "the message" before "it" happens to them or their loved ones. I pray that God will continue to lead us and that He will continue to supply every single thing that we need to continue His work and that it would all glorify Him and be His doing. Not ours. What an amazing God we serve.
Peace and have a great and blessed week.
…it matters to that one… :)
I prayed this morning that I could use Dad’s passing as an example to our friends downtown. You see, when I was born my Dad was an alcoholic. When I got my first report card? Alcoholic. I’ll never forget coming up the street, must have been 1969, with my very first report card from grade school. The car was parked really weird in the driveway. Against a tree. Good thing the tree was there or it would have rolled down our fairly steep driveway into the street and who knows what. So I remember going in the house, so proud of my first grades. And I found my father "asleep" on the couch. Only he wasn’t sleeping. That is really one of my first conscious memories. The thing is, he was in the throes of an addiction. I read a blog recently by a homeless fellow in Nashville. The main point of the blog was that homelessness is not caused by addictions or alcoholism. Homelessness, it seems, is simply a byproduct of the addiction. I think it’s safe to say that there is always a root cause when it comes to various addictions. I don’t know what my Dad’s root problem was. I only know what I saw growing up. And when we left my father in 1976 to move back to Omaha, we became estranged in a sense. I spoke with over the years, but the relationship was strained at best. Then a strange thing happened. Robin and I had our first child. This kid talked so much, I had to share the wealth! For some reason, I didn’t think it would be fair to Christian if I imposed my relationship baggage on him. I thought it was important for him to know who his Grandpa was. Through that, God blessed me with a new relationship with my Father. Over the course of the next ten years or so, our relationship grew to the point that we not only put the past behind us, we began to look forward to the future. And it was good again. God has a way of doing that.
Today, when we got downtown, there was quite a crowd of people waiting for us. I didn’t make it down last week because of my Dad’s illness and passing and the fact that I was in a car on my way to Alabama.. So when we pulled up today, there was a round of applause, as strange as that may seem. Our friends were welcoming us back. It was pretty humbling. And then, when we were set up and ready to go, I was able to briefly share with them that "it" can happen anytime. I spent all of 2 minutes just explaining that my Dad was gone, but he was "in a better place". He was right with the Big Guy. And for each and every one of them to be there also. Make it right with God. We prayed as we always do, and immediately I hear this - "Good message. That was a good message". It is so simple. And we had not a single issue today. At least nothing to write home about. It just all came off how God would have it, I suppose. I was able to relay a few words about a real life situation and at least some of them got it. It wasn’t a message. It’s life. Life with Christ. And that’s the only way I can make it work anymore.
One last thing. We know a young fellow who just happens to share the same name as my oldest son, Christian. This young man, I believe he’s 10 years old, has begun selling soap. Now that may sound a bit odd, but it’s not so much. The brand name? Starfish Soap. It’s an organic soap that is actually a bit on the expensive side, but its good stuff. He has promised 10% of his profits to this crazy ministry that has become such a big part of our lives. Here’s the kicker though. He recently pitched his soap to a grocery chain here in town. Hy-Vee is a Midwestern chain that is not unlike your normal grocery store. In this case, the manager of our local Hy-Vee has agreed to sell Starfish Soap. I have no idea what this means. I just know that a young man had an idea and God has blessed him with the means to be a part of our ministry in yet another way that continually blows my mind. I simply cannot believe the many different ways that people have contributed to God’s work in that downtown park. I was doing a morning devotional this week and I came across a piece of scripture, Acts 5:12-42. The gist of it was this - The apostles were facing a hearing but they were released after a wise individual argued that they should be let go. If the work they were doing was of their own doing, they would fail. If it was of God, they wouldn’t be able to stop them anyway. I see that happening on this downtown corner. It is clearly not of our doing. It is so clearly God at work. I mean, Starfish Soap? Are you kidding me? What next??!!
It’s been a strange week. 1000 miles to Alabama last Sunday. 1000 miles back on Friday. And the funeral of my Father right smack in the middle. And this morning was a little tough. The emotions come in waves. And then I’m reminded that it’s all part of the gig here. "It" happens. I just hope and pray that our friends get "the message" before "it" happens to them or their loved ones. I pray that God will continue to lead us and that He will continue to supply every single thing that we need to continue His work and that it would all glorify Him and be His doing. Not ours. What an amazing God we serve.
Peace and have a great and blessed week.
…it matters to that one… :)
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