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Emails to God – Do I Cause These Little Ones to Stumble? (Matthew 18:6-9)

09 Mar

6 “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. 7 Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come! 8 If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.

Dear God, part of me wants to explore the idea of how literal Jesus was being in verses eight and nine, but I think I’m going to leave that one alone. Too complicated.

I am interested, however, in the idea of not being the cause of others to stumble. I was talking with a man yesterday who is leading a “new member class” for a given denomination. I’ve been in the class since September and I’ve decided that I’m not going to join simply because there are a couple theological issues in the way. That and, frankly, they want me to make a life-long commitment to this denomination and I’m not prepared to commit my life to any church or denomination for the rest of my life. But as the man and I talked and I brought up a couple of the theological differences he said that he wished I would have brought them up during the class so that we can discuss them. I told him I had no desire to do that because it didn’t matter to me if they disagreed with me or not and I didn’t want to plant any seeds of doubt in those going through the class. The theological differences don’t imperil the soul so they just aren’t important. I could tell he was frustrated with my answer, but it really was true.

I think one of the harder things to do is to decide how to best advise others when they are in crisis. My temptation is to give them guidance and direction. But what if my guidance and advice is wrong. I have another friend whose wife is going through a hard time. This friend is serving you in a very sacrificial and faithful way. There is a part of me that thinks that his service to you, though admirable, is asking too much of her. But I don’t dare advise him to change his service to you. I would NOT want to advise him in a way that is contradictory to your call to him. So I have done my best to just share my own life with him, invite him to share his with me, and then pray that you will guide him as he figures out how to minister to his wife.

Father, please keep me from feeling like I have to have the answers for everyone around me. Help me to lovingly support others while learning to be your words and hands to them. I don’t want to be a bad example to anyone with my personal actions, and I don’t want to be a bad advisor to someone with foolish words that are not of you. And as far as my eyes, hands, feet, and whatever else gets me in trouble goes, please be merciful to me as I don’t have the courage to disavow them.

 
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Posted by on March 9, 2012 in Matthew

 

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Emails to God – How Much do I Think God Can Do? (Matthew 17:24-27)

07 Mar

24 After Jesus and his disciples arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma temple tax came to Peter and asked, “Doesn’t your teacher pay the temple tax?”

25 “Yes, he does,” he replied.

When Peter came into the house, Jesus was the first to speak. “What do you think, Simon?” he asked. “From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxes—from their own children or from others?”

26 “From others,” Peter answered.

“Then the children are exempt,” Jesus said to him. 27 “But so that we may not cause offense, go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours.”

Dear God, the first thing I thought when I heard this story was, “Wow, Jesus is really feeling it now.” What I mean by that is that, after the transfiguration he is seemingly really feeling how much power he really has. I like how he addresses Peter’s issue on taxes before Peter even says anything. Then he tells Peter where to find some gold, and it is in a most unlikely place. It doesn’t say what Peter found when he caught the fish, but I would venture to say that they wouldn’t have told the story if it didn’t work out.

I am thinking there is a lot of power that you have available to me, as your child, that I don’t even come close to scratching the surface of. There is power available for all of the challenges that I see around me. I just need to change my paradigm of what I expect from you. I have my nice little safe Christian version of what I expect from you, and I rarely really tap into your power. And I have to tell you, when I do I am always blown away by what you do.

Father, I want to spend this day focusing on a few issues that are in my life. I want to tap your power in these areas. One is our big issue at work. The other is my mother’s health. I have concerns about me as a parent. I have concerns about me as a husband. I also know we have some patients at work that really need your intervention. And there is my wife’s faith journey. I will dedicate this day to lifting all of these issues up to you. I need your power. I need you to move. And I want to be able to look at all of these things and see how you moved.

 
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Posted by on March 7, 2012 in Matthew

 

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Emails to God – Prophecy & Encouragement (Matthew 17:22-23)

06 Mar

22 When they came together in Galilee, he said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. 23 They will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised to life.” And the disciples were filled with grief.

Dear God, sometimes you keep us on a need-to-know basis (for our own good), and sometimes the path becomes apparent. But I go back to what my dad said once about prophecy. He said, “Prophecy isn’t as much about us knowing the future now, but about us knowing that God is in control as the future unveils itself.” In this case, Jesus was doing his best to let the disciples know what was going to happen so that they would have some string of hope to hold onto after he was killed.

As for Jesus, I am sure that his time with Elijah and Moses in the Transfiguration plays into this somehow. Were they confirming for him that what he felt was going to happen was really going to happen? Or were they just encouraging him as he faced the last lap of his earthly life? I have a feeling that Jesus knew what was going to happen so he didn’t need that confirmed. I think that God allowed Jesus to spend some time with Moses and Elijah so that Jesus could feel their encouragement.

There are times when you send me encouragement. I talked about it yesterday. There was another time, almost exactly a year ago, when I was concerned about an aspect of my marriage. My wife and I were worshipping at different churches because I had a mental barrier regarding going to the denomination she attended. She had started going there, and I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. Thankfully, I was having breakfast with a friend on Friday morning and I was telling him about how I was feeling a distance between my wife and me. His admonishment to me was that I needed to “suck it up and go to church with my wife.” That was excellent advice. I followed it, and we have been attending together ever since. That whole experience taught me the importance of not only worshipping with my wife but also having someone in my life besides her who you can use to encourage and advise me.

Father, help me to hear your words through others. Give me the words for others and speak to them through me. I found out late yesterday about a man who passed away over the weekend. He was a patient at our clinic who we sent to specialists, but eventually advised to go on hospice. I feel bad for his family. I feel like I should find a way to reach out to them today, but I’m not sure what to do. I hope that you will provide them comfort and direction. Help them to feel your love for them and draw them into you through this experience.

 
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Posted by on March 6, 2012 in Matthew

 

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Emails to God – Why Don’t I Fast More? (Matthew 17:14-21)

05 Mar

14 When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. 15 “Lord, have mercy on my son,” he said. “He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. 16 I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.”

17 “You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” 18 Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed at that moment.

19 Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”

20 He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” [21]

Dear God, Mark’s telling of this story includes the line about this kind only coming out through prayer and fasting. Why don’t I fast more? I can tell you that every time I have fasted I have seen you move.

The most recent time was about two months ago. I was facing a funding crisis for a project on a Monday that would cost a lot of money. I was overwhelmed and distraught. So I decided to do something I haven’t done in a while and take a day to fast and pray about the situation. I did so the next day (Tuesday). The first thing that happened was that a large donor called me out of the blue on that very day and told me that he was thinking about us and the situation and to let him know if we need anything. Basically, he was good for a chunk of it. Then I contacted two different foundations who know us. They each told me that they would be willing to get us 1/3 of it. Then on Friday I talked to a fourth resource who told me that they would help. So, within four days I had nearly all of the money lined up. Why? Because I was so brilliant? No. I am convinced it is because I took the time to fast and pray, asking you to intervene in a big way—which you graciously did. I even emailed the first man and told him how you used him in my life.

Father, there are other things that I should fast and pray for. The leadoff hitter is probably my kids. They are teenagers and need your protection. I need to fast and pray for them. My marriage is approaching the 20-year mark, and I need to spend more time fasting for it. I have friends who are struggling. I need to fast and pray about that. Our organization at work is still facing formidable challenges. I need to fast and pray about that as well. So I commit to you that I will do that. I am going to pick a day that week to fast and pray to you so that you will be glorified in all of these areas of my life.

 
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Posted by on March 5, 2012 in Matthew

 

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Emails to God – “The Words I Would Say” by Sidewalk Prophets

04 Mar

It’s song time again. We are blessed in that our local McDonald’s plays Christian music in its McCafe. I went there this week for a quick lunch and while I was there I heard this song. I had heard it before, but was so moved I downloaded it as a ringtone. I thought I would share it with you today.

First, here’s a link to the youtube video with lyrics. I thought you might enjoy hearing it. Also, here is a link to a Q&A with one of the songwriters, David Frey.

Now, without further ado, here are the lyrics to the song:

“The Words I Would Say” by Sidewalk Prophets

Three in the morning, and I’m still awake
So I picked up a pen and a page
And I started writing just what I’d say
If we were face to face
I’d tell you just what you mean to me
Tell you these simple truths

Chorus
Be strong in the Lord
And never give up hope
You’re gonna do great things
I already know
God’s got His hand on you
So don’t live life in fear
Forgive and forget
But don’t forget why you’re here
Take your time and pray
These are the words I would say

Last time we spoke you said you were hurting
And I felt your pain in my heart
I want to tell you that I keep on praying
That love will find you where you are
I know cause I’ve already been there
So please here these simple truths

Chorus

From one simple life to another
I will say…come find peace in the Father

Be strong in the Lord
And never give up hope
You’re gonna do great things
I already know
God’s got His hand on you
So don’t live life in fear
Forgive and forget
But don’t forget why you’re here
Take your time and pray
And thank God for each day
His love will find a way
These are the words I would say

So here are some thoughts as I experience these verses and chorus

  • Verse 1: There have been times when a friend or a loved one have been put on my heart. Sometimes I stop what I am doing and pray. Sometimes I write a note. And sometimes I turn over and go back to sleep without doing anything. I guess the biggest challenge is to decide whether or not to write something down and send it to them. I don’t want to come off as preachy. I don’t want to come off as someone who has it all figured out. My preference is to start by talking about a struggle in my life so that they will know that I relate to them and am not coming from a know-it-all, self-righteous position. That’s probably the hardest part about writing notes to someone when they are struggling. How do you do it in a way that they are willing to hear?
  • Verse 2: Sometimes it is hard to know how deeply to get involved in someone else’s pain (or how much they do or do NOT want you to be involved. Do they want my solutions? Do they just want my sympathy? Do they even want to know I am praying for them or will that simple knowledge drive them further from God? I have had and continue to have friends who experience pain, and I sometimes have a hard time finding the line.
  • Bridge: It can sometimes sound trite to say, “Come find peace in the Father.” I really struggle with when to say this and when not to. When is someone ready to hear it and when aren’t they. I love God. I know I have found peace in God, even though there have been and continue to be periods of struggle. How do I offer that comfort to my friend or loved one when they are in pain?
  • Chorus: Whenever I have heard this chorus in the past I have always thought of my children. I heard Rich Mullins say one time that he wrote the song “Bound to Come Some Trouble” as the words he would speak to children he might have if he knew he could only tell them one thing. I think that this chorus’ collection of little Christian phrases is actually pretty inclusive of what I would hope for my children.

The last question is, is there anything in this song that is for me now? The part of the chorus that hits me each time is, “Don’t live life in fear.” I have different things in my life that I fear, but this is a reminder that there is no place for fear in my life when I have Christ. That’s not to say that bad things won’t happen. It’s just that I shouldn’t fear when they do.

 
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Posted by on March 4, 2012 in Hymns and Songs

 

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Emails to God – When Life Just Feels Bigger Than You (Matthew 17:1-13)

01 Mar

1 After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. 3 Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.

4 Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”

5 While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”

6 When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. 7 But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” 8 When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.

9 As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”

10 The disciples asked him, “Why then do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?”

11 Jesus replied, “To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things. 12 But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished. In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.” 13 Then the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist.

Dear God, it can be so hard to understand what is going on around us at any given time. The stories of two different people come to mind.

The first is a news story I watched this morning about a man who moved to The Sudan with Samaritan’s Purse nine years ago. Now, Samaritan’s Purse has evacuated and he resigned from the organization so that he can stay. He married a local woman and can’t stand the thought of abandoning these people to war while he retreats to the safety of the United States. I admire this man’s convictions, love, and loyalty. I wonder how much of what you are doing in his life he really understands. I’m not saying he isn’t doing your will. I’m sure he is. I’m just saying that life must seem so much bigger than he can handle sometimes.

Then there is a friend who is a missionary overseas. I received a newsletter from him and his wife last night. Frankly, his wife, in the article she wrote, seems depressed. I don’t think she likes the city where they live and I think that other aspects of her life are overwhelming her. Raising her children. Supporting her husband. Missing her family. A lack of ability to use her own gifts. It feels like it is too much. She is trying to make sense of it. In her article, she says that she is seeking you and what you have for her in this time. She doesn’t use these words, but, reading between the lines, she seems to be crying out to you and begging you to get her through this.

Verses 10-13 make me think of all of this because the disciples had a lot of stuff going on around them that they didn’t and couldn’t understand. There is no way they could grasp the scope of what was happening. They didn’t realize that they were part of a plan that would launch your plan for the whole world for thousands of years. They didn’t realize that I would be reading about them thousands of years later. They didn’t realize that there would be churches all over the world named after them. It was just too big for them to understand.

Father, I pray for both of the people I mentioned above. For this man that I do not know, use him to end the war in The Sudan. Love him and his family. Comfort them. Protect them. But please use him. Do not let his sacrifice be in vain. I also pray for my friend and his wife. I am sure that he feels as helpless to help his wife as she feels to help herself. Give them guidance and counsel. Help them to emerge from this in a way that makes them stronger with you and more fulfilled in their lives. Unite them together and protect their marriage. Give them hope.

 
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Posted by on March 1, 2012 in Matthew

 

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Emails to God – Jesus Resisting Peter’s Temptation (Matthew 16:21-28)

29 Feb

21 From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.

22 Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!”

23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”

24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. 26 What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? 27 For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.

28 “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”

Dear God, Jesus’ reaction in verse 23 reveals a little of the strain that He must have been under. There must have been a part of Him that said, “You know, Peter has a point here. This shouldn’t happen to me,” because He responds to Peter as if this is a temptation. Then He goes on to say that it is suffering that lays ahead for all of them. He tells them that following Him means denying themselves.

Frankly, it is a relief to know that Jesus faced temptations. It is nice to know that there were things that He dreaded and had to will Himself to do. Sure, He was facing much more horrible rejection, pain, and suffering than I ever will, but it is still nice to know that part of His humanity was a temptation to take the easier path.

Father, help me to be willing to take the uneasy path. Help me to turn loose of my own wants and desires and embrace you and everything you need from me. My life is worth so much to you, and yet my comfort is worth so much less than I think it should be. So help me to feel your rich love for me and accept whatever path you have for me with joy and peace.

 
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Posted by on February 29, 2012 in Matthew

 

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Emails to God – Finding Comfort in Peter’s Weaknesses (Matthew 16:13-20)

28 Feb

13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”

14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” 20 Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.

Dear God, what I love about verses 18 and 19 is that they are about a man who is so flawed and made terrible mistakes, up to and including denying Jesus on the night of his betrayal. Peter didn’t have to be perfect to get this blessing, proclamation, or position. From what I can tell, he just had to be earnest and have a little bit of faith (see walking on the water a little earlier).

There are times when I know that you love me, accept me, and have saved me. But I do often wonder if you can really use me. Can you use someone who can be so timid? Can you use someone who has vices? Can you use someone who forgets to love when he should, judges others too readily, can be so self-centered? In looking at this story with Peter, I think the answer is, “Yes, I can. Just be earnest about loving me and I will use you in spite of yourself.”

Father, I lay my life before you. You have put me in a position of influence, and I want to strongly influence the events that surround me with your wisdom and for your glory. Give me the wisdom to make the right decisions and the courage to use the influence I have to see that those decisions come to pass. Love others through me. Forgive me of my sin. Be glorified in all that I do, even when I fail.

 
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Posted by on February 28, 2012 in Matthew

 

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Emails to God – Have I Allowed the Yeast of the Pharisees in My Life? (Matthew 16:5-12)

27 Feb

5 When they went across the lake, the disciples forgot to take bread. 6 “Be careful,” Jesus said to them. “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

7 They discussed this among themselves and said, “It is because we didn’t bring any bread.”

8 Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked, “You of little faith, why are you talking among yourselves about having no bread? 9 Do you still not understand? Don’t you remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? 10 Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? 11 How is it you don’t understand that I was not talking to you about bread? But be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 12 Then they understood that he was not telling them to guard against the yeast used in bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Dear God, I love how obtuse the disciples are in this story. I know that I wouldn’t have done any better than they did in these situations. When Jesus asked a question, I would likely have been the quiet one in the back.

I wonder if the disciples were already feeling bad about the bread and having left it behind when Jesus made his comment. Perhaps that is why they went there when he warned them about the yeast and the Pharisees and Sadducees. They had no idea what he was talking about so they came up with the bread issue. Maybe they thought Jesus was trying to comfort them about having left the bread behind. But that wasn’t it at all. He was trying to let them know that the teachings of the Pharisees and Sadducees were dangerous because they will grow into something much bigger than they start out, and, in this case, the teaching is wrong and can lead to a lot of misunderstanding of God.

Father, help me to understand when I hear bad teaching and when I hear good teaching. I am sure that I have already taken a lot of bad teaching into my heart and allowed it to grow as yeast grows dough. Help me to figure out where I am a heretic, and then help me to remove those parts of my theology and/or philosophy. Help me to be open to your guidance. Help me to repent quickly and embrace your holiness.

 
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Posted by on February 27, 2012 in Matthew

 

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Emails to God – “Leader of the Band” by Dan Fogelberg

25 Feb

I was riding my bike this week and this classic song came on my ipod (yes, I’m probably the only person in the world who works out to Dan Fogelberg). I listened carefully to the lyrics and they are beautiful. So in the spirit of some of the posts I have done on this blog about different hymns and songs and the depth of their meaning, here are some thoughts on “Leader of the Band”.

Dan Fogelberg wrote this song for his dad, Lawrence Fogelberg. The song released in 1981 and Lawrence passed away in 1982 meaning that he got to hear one of the sweetest tributes a dad could receive from his son or daughter (incidentally, I poked around the Internet and found a cover that Lucie Arnaz did of this song for her dad, Desi).

Here are the lyrics (and here’s a link to a youtube video complete with lyrics)

“Leader of the Band” – By Dan Fogelberg

A lonely child alone and wild
A cabinet maker’s son
His hands were meant for different work
And his heart was known to none
He left his home and went his lone
And solitary way
And he gave to me a gift I know
I never can repay

A quiet man of music
Denied a simpler fate
He tried to be a soldier once
But his music wouldn’t wait
He earned his love through discipline
A thundering velvet hand
His gentle means of sculpting souls
Took me years to understand

The leader of the band is tired
And his eyes are growing old
But his blood runs through my instrument
And his song is in my soul
My life has been a poor attempt
To imitate the man
I’m just a living legacy
To the leader of the band

My brothers’ lives were different
For they heard another call
One went to Chicago
And the other to St. Paul
And I’m in Colorado
When I’m not in some hotel
Living out this life I’ve chosen
And come to know so well

I thank you for the music
And your stories of the road
I thank you for the freedom
When it came my time to go
I thank you for your kindness
And the times when you got tough
And Papa, I don’t think I’ve said,
“I love you,” near enough

The leader of the band is tired
And his eyes are growing old
But his blood runs through my instrument
And his song is in my soul
My life has been a poor attempt
To imitate the man
I’m just a living legacy
To the leader of the band
I am the living legacy
To the leader of the band

I saw a 2003 video of Dan performing this song and he said that if he had only been allowed to write one song in his life it would be this one. Before I go any further, here’s a link to an interview done in March 1982 with Dan’s dad, Lawrence Fogelberg, the Leader of the Band. (You’ll probably want to copy and paste it into a word processor because the font is hard to read with the background.)

So let’s look at this song and see what it tells us

  • Verse 1a: It seems that Lawrence communicated to Dan at some point that he felt like he (Lawrence) didn’t fit in as a child. He felt different from his family and Dan says at the end of this stanza that he got a gift from his dad that he can’t repay. I wonder if that gift is the peace of knowing that it is okay to be himself, even if that made him different from his brothers.
  • Verse 1b: Lawrence was a high school and college band director. In the 1982 interview he says that the thundering velvet hand was his perfectionism with his students, but he was careful to add that he never belittled a student in front of the rest of the band. It seems that Dan came to appreciate how lawrence molded his students’ lives.
  • Verse 2a: It’s interesting that Dan moves from talking about his dad’s students to talking about himself and his brothers. It is apparent that he felt the difference in how they were pursuing their lives. I think there’s something in all of us that tries to figure out our place in our families and how we fit in. I figure that Dan probably got some of his peace about who he was from his knowledge that the musical part of him came from his dad.
  • Verse 2b: First, as a dad, I can’t wait for the day when my children thank me for being tough. Frankly, it’s hard to imagine. But the big thing I get from this verse is that Dan felt his father’s blessing. My dad has blessed me to live my own life, and it is his greatest gift to me. I hope I am able to give it to my children.
  • Chorus: The interview I linked to above was done in March 1982. I don’t know what caused it, but Lawrence died later that year. Perhaps he was terminally ill and that is what Dan meant when he said that his dad was tired. It feels like he had a bond with his dad by the time he died that was beautiful. I am sure there was pain in their past together. I am sure there were scars. But somehow love, forgiveness, and acceptance took over.

I am a sucker for father/son stories. I am blessed with two parents who are loving and supportive of me beyond reason, and the tribute that Dan pays to his father here is beautiful. It’s hard to imagine the joy Lawrence must have felt when he heard “Leader of the Band” for the first time.

 
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Posted by on February 25, 2012 in Hymns and Songs

 

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