Welcome to “The Wild Goose Chase!” The Celtic Christians called the Holy Spirit “The Wild Goose” because it was untamed and smarter than any other bird.
Dear Sisters and Brothers:
Recently memories of my Daddy playing catch with me came rolling back. I remember him coming home after a full day out running a dozer on the pipeline. He would arrive home, often covered in dust and dirt from 10 or 12 hours on that D7 or D8 tractor, pushing dirt, backfilling ditches or whatever was needed. He would kiss momma, and us if we were home, go bathe and dress in something clean. Then he would read the newspaper while momma finished preparing supper. But after supper, when we kids had our chores done, he would ask if I wanted to go throw.
I am not sure I ever turned him down. Playing with daddy was something that I looked forward to, and so out we would go to play catch. I am not sure where he got the money to buy them; but he had bought a regular ball glove, a baseball and a catcher’s mitt, and we would go spend an hour or two with me pitching and him playing catcher. After his knees got tired, we would simply stand and throw the ball back and forth and we would talk.
Those were some of the best days of my entire life. I will never forget them. Daddy gave me his time there at the end of a long day. And never once did he make me feel like it was an imposition or something for which I would owe him later. He gave that time without reservation or condition.
I never was a very good pitcher. I think I pitched two innings in my little league career. But I became a very good catcher, and I owe my ability to catch and throw to all those hours of catch that daddy gave me after working a full day.
Our society needs to put more time into dads and moms playing with their children, being their first teachers, coaching them without pressure or expectation that they will become superstar athletes.
Mark Batterson, in his book, “Play The Man” focuses on a key scripture from Malachi 4:6, which reads in the KJV “He shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers.” Or in NRSV it says: “He shall turn the heart of the parents to the children, and the heart of the children to their parents.”
We want to know what is wrong in our world today and, perhaps, how to make that begin to change for the better? Make your priorities (1) God, (2) FAMILY, (3) Church, and so on. You see, God will NOT ask you to forsake your family, and children need their parents, and you, parents, you need your children. May I suggest? It is time to heal the past and celebrate the future, by focusing on a now love and relationship with your children/parents worked through the lens of Jesus Christ.
For here comes the Great Day of the Lord: Malachi 4 “See, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble; the day that comes shall burn them up, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. 2 But for you who revere my name the sun of righteousness shall rise, with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. 3 And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act, says the Lord of hosts. 4 Remember the teaching of my servant Moses, the statutes and ordinances that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel. 5 Lo, I will send you the prophet Elijah before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes. 6 He will turn the hearts of parents to their children and the hearts of children to their parents, so that I will not come and strike the land with a curse.
Please remember, God loves you and so do I, and all you can do about it is love back.
Still In One Peace,
Stephen
