Traffic slowed us down a bit,
But we made it still on time,
Dropped her off, and found a spot,
Time to unfill my mind.
Looked across the way just there,
Sun glaring in my face,
Saw the most restoring sight,
Over in that big green space.
A ball, 2 mitts , there to throw and catch
And, man, that hit me hard,
For I was taken back to me and mom in our front yard.
It was the Mid 80s, baseball was life,
Every day I wore a hat,
I fell in love with playing ball, because my mother taught me that.
She taught me how to throw and catch
She taught me to play hard,
A lot of life has been formed
From toss in that front yard.
I stopped right here to unfill my mind,
Wasn’t planning on these tears,
But a mother’s love for her son,
Has impacted all these years.
That father son across the way,
Have no idea what they’re doing
But God is in the business of
Helping minds renewing.
That little boy does not yet know
Of what all he will get
From a present father, and baseball pitches, popping in that mitt.
For these days, I am not the boy,
Those years have sadly past
For now I am the father,
Laboring to make it last.
Sitting, reflecting , life is full,
Good Memories are still intact,
A parent throwing with the son,
Sure does have a great impact!
Month: October 2024
-
Throw and Catch
-
Give Me Understanding
Chances are you have heard someone say recently – “Make it make sense.”
There seems to be a lot in life that doesn’t make much sense. Life, at times, is hard to figure out. No doubt about it, life is hard. We regularly feel that we need help with understanding.
Well, I want to share a short, little prayer with you to help you progress in life.
“Lord, give me understanding.”
Psalm 119 is the longest Psalm in the Bible. It has 176 verses. In Psalm 119 we find this brief prayer “Give me understanding.”
In fact, remarkably, this expression is mentioned five different times in Psalm 119.
Psalm 119:34 “Give me understanding, that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart.”
Psalm 119:73 “Your hands have made me and fashioned me; give me understanding that I may learn your commandments.”
Psalm 119:125 “I am your servant; give me understanding, that I may know your testimonies.”
Psalm 119:144 “Your testimonies are righteous forever; give me understanding that I may live.”
Psalm 119:169 “Let my cry come before you, O Lord; give me understanding according to your word.”
God is a good God and a Father in heaven to all who trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. God longs to lead us and bless our lives. May we believe that He will give us understanding and that He will make our lives make sense.
May God give us understanding to know Him and His ways!
May this simple prayer become a blessing to you and your daily life as you begin looking to God for understanding. May we pray often “Lord, give me understanding.”
-
4 Characteristics of the Good Shepherd
One of my most favorite passages in the entire Bible is John 10. Of the seven “I Am” statements in John’s Gospel, the “I am the good shepherd” statement is the most meaningful to me. Yesterday I preached this passage at FBC Fairdale, and you can watch/listen to the whole sermon here.
Jesus declares “I am the good shepherd.” He actually says it twice (10:11, 10:14).
The people of God had/have a bad history of having unfaithful shepherds (leaders). The Old Testament is full of messages from God against those untrustworthy shepherds. But we also have God promising that He will come and be a good and faithful shepherd to his people. That is fulfilled in Jesus Christ! He is the good shepherd of God’s people, the sheep.
From the John 10 passage, here are 4 Characteristics of the Good Shepherd:
- HE CARES FOR THE SHEEP
Jesus cares for his people. He contrasts his care with the lack of care that is shown by the “hired-hand” shepherds. They leave. They flee. They don’t really care for the sheep. Jesus is committed to his people forever. - HE KNOWS THE SHEEP
Jesus knows each and everyone of his people. Here he says that he knows them and they know him. He knows them by name. He calls them by name. His sheep recognize his voice and follow him. There is a real and close and personal relationship between Jesus and His people. - HE IS IN CLOSE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE FATHER
This is a fascinating aspect of the passage. While the majority of the chapter is the shepherd/sheep metaphor, there are several mentions of Jesus and His Father. Verses 15, 17, and 19 all mention Christ and His relationship with the Father. This is incredibly helpful. The listener/reader, as well as the believer, is to understand the Shepherd/Sheep analogy in light of a personal relationship with God the Father which is only possible and available due to the obedience and sacrifice of the Son, Jesus Christ. The Good Shepherd is the Lord and Savior, and He brings us in to a loving relationship with God. - HE DIED FOR THE SHEEP
In a rather emphatic and redundant way, Jesus says 5 times that the shepherd dies for the sheep. In verses 11, 15, 17, and twice in 18, he says the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. It is remarkable! It is especially remarkable when you consider that very rarely does an actual shepherd have to give his life for his flock of sheep. But Jesus is not teaching us about agriculture here. He is teaching us about life. People can know God, and people can be lead by God. Jesus is the Shepherd and the Savior.
When it comes time for you to deal with your sins and seek forgiveness (hopefully now and today, do not delay), you need a savior.
When it comes time for you to die (hopefully not today, but it could be any day), you need a savior.
When it comes time for you to live, I mean truly live, you need a shepherd – a leader.
Jesus Christ is both – the Shepherd Savior! Trust Him today!
- HE CARES FOR THE SHEEP