"Greater love
has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends" (and
family). (John 15:13); based on "But
God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners,
Christ died for us" (Rom. 5:8); and "I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for
the sheep" (John 10:11).
Hey Gang: I have a
confession to make before sharing the second story that made a great impact on
my life. These messages about youth I
met working in California have been banging around in my head for months,
perhaps even years. As you know, my
bride and I and now my family, three children, one spouse, and two grandchildren work for the program my bride and I were privileged, allowed by God and
with His leading, developed.
.
In the past forty-six years, since we greeted our first
child and family, Eagle Village has become a very effective program. It has been a lifeline and a "shirt tail
to hand onto" for many thousands children and families. In a sense, I believe the Lord has directed
these morning messages to those of you who have your quivers full.
In our many years of reaching out to hurting children and
parents we have found nothing, except Jesus' love, can replace the love and attention of
parents for their children. In my tenure
as a counselor and senior counselor in a detention facility, I interviewed
thousands of young men who had penetrated the judicial system, many of whom had
committed serious crimes.
Most of the questions had quick responses, until I came to
the last one: "If you could change anything in the world, what would it
be?" Wow, what a response,
everything from crying to no answer at all, just a sadness in their eyes that
is beyond description. We used to have a
saying in the facility, "We can tell how tough a kid is by how many hours
he cries himself to sleep at night."
The second story I want to share, that I believe has wide
spread meaning for many readers, involves a fourteen year-old youngster that
had given up hope. A teacher in his
class had developed a program where she gave each child three ribbons and told
them the first one was for them, because she cared and even loved each one of
them. She then challenged them to go to
the person who most impacted their life, and give them the second ribbon, with
the challenge that they would do likewise.
The lad was at a loss. Who would he give his second ribbon to; He
decided he would give it to his dad. He
did not believe his dad had any feelings for him; the youth felt totally
ignored by him. When he gave the ribbon
to his Dad, Dad was visibly shaken and did not respond; but later that night he went into the lad’s
room and said, "I have tried to
think of someone that truly impacted on my life and the only one I could think of
was you".
As they talked the young lad said to his Dad, “I brought all
my things home from school today. I was
going to commit suicide tonight because I did not think you loved me.” Folks,
I want you to hear this old Gramps, the world is a very sadistic place and
children who do not have the love and relationship with God and their parents
are floundering in deep water!
Sooo, what can you do to never have to fear that your child
might be this story? God laid it out
very clearly in Deuteronomy 6:6-7: "You
shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and
with all your might. These words shall
be on your hearts. You shall teach them
diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and
when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand
and they shall be as frontals on your fore head. You shall write them on the doorposts of your
house and on your gates". Praying
for them and with them helps, too.
Blessings,
Gramps
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