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May 12, 2008
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=========================== TODAY'S ARTICLE ==========================
There When Daddy Can't Be!, by Phil Ware
Special Note:
This is an article from ten years ago. We are running it to get us
into that Father's Day focus coming in a little over a month.
During the next few weeks, we will be challenging folks to use
Father's Day as an opportunity to help a ministry that provides the
opportunity for babies to not only live to be born, but also find
their ways into a home where there is both a mommy and daddy. The
effort is called "Tied to Life" and done in partnership with
Christian Homes and Family Services. Find out more about it here:
http://www.christianhomes.com/tiedtolife/index.html
When our daughter Megan was born five years after her brother Zach, we
were thrilled. We felt blessed and balanced -- a son and a daughter. It
doesn't get much better than that!
We had learned with Zach how important music was in the life of a
child. So when Megan was a new baby, I sang to her every night I could.
It was a special song taken from the book of Revelation, written by our
good friend, Ken Young. "Great and marvelous are your deeds, Lord God
Almighty ..." It wasn't hard to sing to her while I rocked her to sleep
-- after all, I considered her one of God's greatest and most marvelous
deeds. She heard my scratchy male voice sing because I knew that from
the time she was 6 months old in the womb, she had heard her mom sing
in church and speak during the day. I wanted her to grow up being
comforted by her father's voice, too.
As Megan grew older, we moved her out of her baby bed into her "big
girl's bed." Rather than sing, we played Michael Card's Sleep Sound in
Jesus, I read Bible stories to her, and prayed with her every night.
More and more often, she had trouble going to sleep. She kept saying
that someone was in the room. That he had never hurt her, but that he
was always there by her door. While he wasn't scary, he bothered her by
standing there. She could point out clearly where he was.
Jesus had said, "See that you do not look down on one of these little
ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of
my Father in heaven." (Matthew 18:10 NIV).The Holy Spirit reminds us,
"Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will
inherit salvation?" (Hebrews 1:14). As worried parents, we asked her if
she saw monsters in her dreams. But she didn't see the person she was
describing in her room in her dreams. He was there, right by the door.
She was adamant. She pointed to him.
For many nights, we sat in her room after she had gone to sleep trying
to see shadows, reflections, ambient light filtering in, anything that
might be making her see something on the wall. While she could clearly
see this "person," we could never detect him or anything that she could
be seeing. As she began to describe him, we were more and more
convinced she was trying to describe an angel. She would tell us
specifically what she saw and we would point to places on the wall that
made no sense to us, but could be clearly seen by her.
One night, Donna sat down and talked with her about angels. "While we
don't know a whole lot about them, Jesus tells us that little children
have angels that are in the presence of God who watch over them. They
take care and protect children because they are precious to God. Angels
are servants to God's people to help them." One night, the three of us
agreed that we would pray and ask the angel not to be visible anymore
to Megan, but to still be present and not disappear from her life -- to
still watch over and protect her.
One of God's servants is watching.
To this day, I'm not sure what we did was theologically correct in
every detail. All I know is that from that night forward, Megan did not
see that image again. Unlike many children, however, Megan has never
been overly scared to sleep in a room by herself. In fact, she rather
prefers it. Deep down, I believe all three of us were comforted in our
faith that God's messenger servant was watching over her.
No one would suggest that our family would be called "angel people" --
we're not caught up in all the angel hype, hysteria, fascination, and
decorations. In fact, I've been very put off at times that it is so
much easier for many people to acknowledge angels than to acknowledge
God. I've been bothered by many others who find it easier to talk about
angels than to talk about Jesus. Even more folks feel more free to talk
about what angels did rather than recognize the leading of the Holy
Spirit. I am very much aware of the problems the improper worship of
angels caused in New Testament times. But one thing has stuck with me:
the one person in our family who did have a fascination with angels in
our family is the one Megan is most like, my grandmother.
I'm not quite sure what to make of this other than to say that I do
believe that one of the many ways God's grace is placed in our lives is
through his messenger servants, or what we call angels. They appear at
crucial moments when God is working salvation for his people. They are
there to rescue, comfort, and strengthen God's servants. They
communicate God's will and carry out God's commands. They are the
worship leaders of heaven. They are there at all the key turns in
Jesus' earthly ministry, either to announce his triumphant glory or to
comfort him in trouble. They watch over children and minister to those
who are children of God. For a little while we will be lower than them,
but one day we will be like them. These things are clearly announced in
Scripture.
Deep down, however, in a place that daddies and little girls connect in
a special way, I am also absolutely convinced that there is one who has
guarded the door for my little girl while I was asleep. In a world gone
crazy, a world where daddies of every age can't help but fear a little
for their little girls, it is comforting to know that one of God's
servants is watching over my girl when I can't.
My prayer is that he still does!
---------
(c) 2008 Phil Ware <phil@heartlight.org>. All rights reserved.
RELATED LINKS:
* Who Could Ask for More?
http://www.heartlight.org/articles/200605/20060501_askformore.html
* He's Our Son!
http://www.heartlight.org/articles/200801/20080128_myson.html
* Walkin' in My Boots
http://www.heartlight.org/two_minute/2m_991013_boots.html
* Southern Hills Church of Christ
http://www.southernhillschurch.org
This article can be found on the web at:
http://www.heartlight.org/articles/200805/20080512_daddycantbe.html
=========================== FEATURED PRODUCT =========================
THE PRACTICE OF THE PRESENCE OF GOD, by Brother Lawrence
This edition of this timeless devotional classic will help you
cultivate a continual awareness of God in the everyday.
http://shopping.heartlight.org/cgi-shl/link?223
Find more great books, CDs and videos at the Heartlight store! With
each purchase you make, you're helping to support Heartlight's
ministry. Thanks SO MUCH for your help!
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