Welcome to the March 28th edition of Faith & Life Lessons.
You will see this email full of tidbits from my week. My goal is simple. I hope that from how I live my life, you can find a thing or two that helps you as you try to live a life that matters. I am always trying to do one thing - make Christ-focused decisions in love, work, and life. And this was my week.
The Story of My Week
In the busyness of every day, it's great to sometimes run into something that brings a big laugh out of us.
I got one of those this week when I checked in on a Fathers Only group, I am part of.
A father had posted a request and responses that followed were almost as funny as the request itself.
I'll put it out here and hope it also brings a laugh or two out of you.
Father's request: I never understood arranged marriages...and then I had daughters. SO: I've got four daughters (8,4, 2, and 3 months). I'm looking for four Jesus-loving guys to love them well. Dads who intend to raise Jesus-loving sons...WHAT SAY YOU?!?!
Response A: I've got a 7, 5, and 2 year old boys (and some girls too, but it sounds like you're not interested in them). Maybe we can work something out? Can't cover all your bases, but we can help with some.
They're all being raised to be men who love God above all else, and are being taught how to be strong and be kind.
Plus, they all will know how to change the oil in the car, shoot a gun well, how to fix just about anything in the home, and generally will be pretty awesome at making money as well.
Response B: He can take the 4 year old girl I have. Sounds like there might be a good match here.
As an aside— Kids: If you're going through daddy's old facebook posts in 15 years from now and you're reading this I'm not serious 😉
Response C: Well I've got 3 boys and a girl. Boys are 10, 8 and 8 months. I'll be looking for Jesus loving women for them to love as Christ loved the church. Keep in touch. ha!
Response D: I have 7, 5 and 4 year old boys, but am looking to arrange marriage for my almost 3 year old daughter and her soon to be born sister.
Response E: Same. I’ve got an 11yo girl. Looking for someone with a sweet offer. Livestock, gold. 🤣 But seriously I think it’s our job to help our daughters find suitable mates, either directly or indirectly.
Response F: How many goats 🐐 for an arranged exchange? I'm about to have a Jesus loving son. I'm willing to throw in a puppy if it seals the deal. Lol
Response G: Blessed with 3 girls, 2 boys. I think that being that GOD is Sovereign as He is, in His Providence, He has already in a way betrothed our children to their future spouses. The girls, their future husband who are known by GOD, LORD willing, & the boys their future wife who are known by GOD, LORD willing.
Response H: 8th grade plays in the youth band at church, honor Society, has his gliders pilots license. Has parents and grand parents who live the Lord and pray for him daily. Is patient and kind takes care of his 2 year brother all the time for me and mom.
Response I: I have a 4 and 1 year old son, but are your daughters protestant or catholic, and how much land do you own??
Response J: I got a great god fearing 10 year old boy. How does 2 cows and a goat sound Lol. I also have four girls who I pray find a God fearing man so I totally understand how you feel.
I hope you see the funny side of this.
Things I Learnt
1-Let My Words be few: a Christian artist had a private call with his adult son posted on social media during the week. In the clip played, he lost control of his emotions and used colorful language to address his son.
I won’t go into the specifics but I found it rather amusing that some people began a series of analyses on what he said.
Someone started a conversation on whether this is how a Christian should talk.
Only a parent can understand the frustration of another when it comes to parenting.
Parenting is that weird job that you only get out of when you say bye Christian to Mother Earth.
Sometimes the frustrations of not seeing what you expect can get the best of you and you say what you don’t mean.
Only a parent can understand.
It’s also in those emotionally charged moments that words lodged in the recesses of our minds that we didn’t know we had popped out.
This is one of the reasons I am careful of conversations I engage in and programs I watch or listen to.
Words from such engagements find their way into my subconscious and pop out when I lose control of my emotions.
The way to keep the bird poop away from my head is to keep the bird from making a nest on my head.
When the nest is in place, it’s only a matter of time before the poop starts to stink out.
From the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks - Luke 6:45
2-Remembering God’s Integrity Stands Alone: I got an email from a list that I have always appreciated their Christian view on contemporary matters.
In the email, they detailed an investigation on a leader of a Christian camp who was accused of sexually molesting boys coming to the camp.
The courts found him guilty and sentenced him to two life sentences plus 30 years.
But the full extent of his activities was not reviewed due to the various Non-Disclosure Agreements with so many more victims.
The ministry he worked for closed ranks as a way of keeping things going - their way of protecting the over 90 years of history they had and over 450,000 campers that they have served in through their camps.
I'd like to borrow a quote from David French "no degree of greatness can overcome lawlessness". The ministry tried to keep the offender's talent while managing his sin.
The focus moves from the integrity of the leader to the results he is providing. At some point, it moves to equates the reputation of the leader to the reputation of God - if the leader's integrity is shamed, God's integrity is shamed.
God's work has not relied on the reputation of the people doing the work. Yes, the failures of leaders become talking points but no more than that. They do not diminish God.
A case in point is David after the Bathsheba episode.
God's response was “However because, by this deed you have given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also who is born to you shall surely die.” - 2 Samuel 12:14.
Sometimes, we must be willing to "let the child die" and not cover the Non-Disclosure failures of the leader.
The only source to support God's integrity is His Word - not the people that try to live by the Word.
This is probably one of the reasons why the Bible does not exclude the failures of the people of God. They do not diminish the integrity of God.
God's integrity stands apart from God.
A part of me believes that we will get to hear and see more moral failures brought into the public space. I think it's God's way of letting "judgment start from God's house".
When our obedience is complete, we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience.
Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it. Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them; let all the trees of the forest sing for joy. Let all creation rejoice before the Lord, for he comes, he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in his faithfulness. Ps 96:11-13
Postscript
May the integrity of God be the reference you live your life by and not the integrity of any leader that you adore. Amen
Tata,
Tola
Ps: Apologies for sending this later than usual. I had a rather busy weekend and needed to catch up on things. Thanks for your understanding.
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