My Father's House
Originally posted on 03.23.2005
"You trust God, don't you? Trust me. There is plenty of room for you in my Father's home. If that weren't so, would I have told you that I'm on my way to get a room ready for you? And if I'm on my way to get your room ready, I'll come back and get you so you can live where I live. And you already know the road I'm taking."
- John 14:1-4, The Message
My father's house is big. So big that it can hold everyone who has turned their lives over to Christ. Well, given the way this evening went, I'm not sure I want to be in a house with a lot of people. I'm having trouble with the kids and the wife. And she's at work!
Tonight's episode boiled down to this. I wanted my oldest daughter -- she's six -- to do something and she refused. No, she argued with me. "It's not fun!" She's just like her Daddy. I can say that; I "R" him.
She's trying out her boundaries. She wants to be independent. Though, at the same time, she wants to be treated like our baby. She's jealous of the attention, of the "special breaks" that the baby gets. Don't forget that the baby is just now learning to say some words. She understands some (and she is punished when she ignores those that she knows), but she is not old enough to be held accountable for her actions to the same degree the oldest is.
How do we make the oldest understand this? Well, we don't follow Daddy's method. Daddy has a -- shall we say -- temper problem that results in lost tempers on an all too regular basis. It can be an ugly sight. Once I lose my temper, I am ashamed for the way I behave. I keep reminding my oldest that she is to set an example for her sister, then I pull a stunt like this.
In my father's house is a lot of room. Perhaps I could let someone else in this big house watch the kids while I get away for a few minutes. Maybe I could actually spend a couple of hours worrying about something more important than the fact that my kids don't treat me with any respect. Maybe I could praise God.
Paul and Silas sang in prison. Acts 16:23-26 (NIV) says "After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. Upon receiving such orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks. About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody's chains came loose."
Many days I feel like I'm in prison. I can't do what I want because I have a family to look after. Yeah, I know, it was my choice -- at least it was partly my choice. I did choose to give up an illustrious career as a professional bug killer to pursue my life as a stay-at-home Dad. I did choose to have kids in the first place.
If Paul and Silas were able to get God to wreck the prison just by singing hymns, perhaps I can as well. My wife tells me when I'm down I need to sing praises. Basically, when you don't feel like singing is the time you should be singing. It will keep your mind focused on God. He will then lift your burden from you.
Abba [Daddy] Father God, we know we are lower than the lowest Heavenly beings. We acknowledge our worthlessness to come before you. We are sinners, and we are not worthy to even be in your presence. Yet even with all our spots, our sins, we have been redeemed so that we can come before you.
The sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the Cross was more than a misunderstanding. You promised this to Adam in the very beginning of time. You promised that we would be free from sin and the devil through the death of Christ. Your promise came true on that first Easter morning.
Father, we ask that you will show us your glory so we are always reminded of your infinite mercy and grace. When that mercy and grace is poured out on use, we can then pour it out on our neighbors.
Thank you, Father for your gifts to us.
In Jesus' Holy Name we pray,
Amen.
"You trust God, don't you? Trust me. There is plenty of room for you in my Father's home. If that weren't so, would I have told you that I'm on my way to get a room ready for you? And if I'm on my way to get your room ready, I'll come back and get you so you can live where I live. And you already know the road I'm taking."
- John 14:1-4, The Message
My father's house is big. So big that it can hold everyone who has turned their lives over to Christ. Well, given the way this evening went, I'm not sure I want to be in a house with a lot of people. I'm having trouble with the kids and the wife. And she's at work!
Tonight's episode boiled down to this. I wanted my oldest daughter -- she's six -- to do something and she refused. No, she argued with me. "It's not fun!" She's just like her Daddy. I can say that; I "R" him.
She's trying out her boundaries. She wants to be independent. Though, at the same time, she wants to be treated like our baby. She's jealous of the attention, of the "special breaks" that the baby gets. Don't forget that the baby is just now learning to say some words. She understands some (and she is punished when she ignores those that she knows), but she is not old enough to be held accountable for her actions to the same degree the oldest is.
How do we make the oldest understand this? Well, we don't follow Daddy's method. Daddy has a -- shall we say -- temper problem that results in lost tempers on an all too regular basis. It can be an ugly sight. Once I lose my temper, I am ashamed for the way I behave. I keep reminding my oldest that she is to set an example for her sister, then I pull a stunt like this.
In my father's house is a lot of room. Perhaps I could let someone else in this big house watch the kids while I get away for a few minutes. Maybe I could actually spend a couple of hours worrying about something more important than the fact that my kids don't treat me with any respect. Maybe I could praise God.
Paul and Silas sang in prison. Acts 16:23-26 (NIV) says "After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. Upon receiving such orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks. About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody's chains came loose."
Many days I feel like I'm in prison. I can't do what I want because I have a family to look after. Yeah, I know, it was my choice -- at least it was partly my choice. I did choose to give up an illustrious career as a professional bug killer to pursue my life as a stay-at-home Dad. I did choose to have kids in the first place.
If Paul and Silas were able to get God to wreck the prison just by singing hymns, perhaps I can as well. My wife tells me when I'm down I need to sing praises. Basically, when you don't feel like singing is the time you should be singing. It will keep your mind focused on God. He will then lift your burden from you.
Prayer:
Abba [Daddy] Father God, we know we are lower than the lowest Heavenly beings. We acknowledge our worthlessness to come before you. We are sinners, and we are not worthy to even be in your presence. Yet even with all our spots, our sins, we have been redeemed so that we can come before you.
The sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the Cross was more than a misunderstanding. You promised this to Adam in the very beginning of time. You promised that we would be free from sin and the devil through the death of Christ. Your promise came true on that first Easter morning.
Father, we ask that you will show us your glory so we are always reminded of your infinite mercy and grace. When that mercy and grace is poured out on use, we can then pour it out on our neighbors.
Thank you, Father for your gifts to us.
In Jesus' Holy Name we pray,
Amen.
posted by ClayMan at 12:10 PM
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