Lessons from the Shorties

OK. Since my last posting was a little engineer-ish, matter of fact, nuts and bolts, I have a story to share. The second week here at ILC, Parker was having a little bit of a hard time. In fact, we were all having a hard time with the adjustment. As we learned in one of our classes on how to deal with stress, our stress level is at an all time high, based on the compounding life changing events all happening at once. And for me, the stress came out in the form of impatience with the kids. That particular day, I was barking out orders at Parker. You know the typical, “Clean your room, and don’t get out of bed again.” Well, he decided that he had enough and he was entitled to vent a little stress too. So he barked back. Well, of course I wasn’t happy with his tone with me (even though I had set the tone first), and I said, “If you keep this up, I will take away your…”, and then I paused a moment, looked around his bare International Learning Center dorm bedroom and realized that he doesn’t really have anything left to take away. That reminded me of another time, where he actually said to me, “What are you going to take away, everything is already gone.” Wow, another wake up call for dear old dad. What do I really have to be barking at him for? He, along with Allyson, Jaxson and Avery have been troopers through this whole process. They have adjusted amazingly well to everything. Leaving home, friends, family, toys and bicycles. Starting school for the first time, leaving daily living with mommy, and adjusting to new friends and surroundings. Jessica and I are so blessed. Well, God’s lesson for me, through my kids, was not done yet.

Then the next day Jerry Rankin (IMB President) was talking to us about missionaries that have given their lives while serving overseas. He used the expression “giving their lives” instead of “losing their lives” because we all go voluntarily knowing what the price may someday be of following Jesus’ call on our lives. Dr. Rankin told stories of children of missionaries that have died on the field, either from illnesses or accidents. And then it occurred to me. Jessica and I are ready and willing to lay down our lives so the Gospel of Jesus can be spread, but our children have not make that conscious choice. They have been drafted into service. So is it fair? Are we bad parents for taking them overseas? Well, here is the more important question, which can answer both of those questions. Do we believe heaven is a better place than this world? In other words, we know that if our children died today, they would go to heaven. So they would be given a promotion to a better place and existence. Please don’t misinterpret what I am saying. We love our kids and hope they live to be 100 years old and have a fruitful, full life of walking with our Lord. We would rather die than see a single hair harmed on any of their heads. But as much as I try to protect them and guard them from the dangers of this world, God is still in control and He loves them more than I will ever love them. He loves them with a perfect, holy love that is unfailing. And His plan for their lives, as well as our lives, is in His hands. -John