Family Reunions

Yesterday I went to my family reunion. To me it is a little disconcerting to go to these things. It is always a reminder of some of those most dear that I have “lost”. The family grave plot for my Grandfather is out in the country very close to the reunion so my sister, cousin and I went down there to visit the site and pay respects. (Why do we do that?) When my grandfather died of cancer in 1995 it was a real blow to me spiritually as well as emotionally. I was very close to him and was his first and I believe favorite grandchild (jab to sis and bro). The spiritual part was that I was very new to the ministry at the time and I saw the power of God come on my papa multiple times in a very serious way and I thoroughly expected him to be healed. Well he wasn’t he died. I will never forget the day I got the call. I was on a new job, first day two hours in and they called me. I left and slid sideways into the yard half determined to snatch that old man out of his burgundy easy chair like Smith Wigglesworth reincarnate. My mom caught me at the door and let me know he was tired, ready and wanted to go. The problem was I wasn’t ready for him to go. At the behest of my grandma I did his funeral along with our pastor and I thought my heart would break, I think it actually did. I was in a fog for about six months after not knowing which way was up and questioning everything up to and including my own salvation and the existence of God. The enemy capitalized on the situation and my own immaturity to really do a number on me until one day in the Grocery store in the frozen food section he tipped his hand and said just a little too much and I saw it for what it was, torment. I can tell you today several things I know. My papa was a believer, no doubt. He loved Jesus, I have that as a heritage and no one can take it from me. I have not lost him, I am simply deprived of his presence for a while. He is better off than I am, and he doesn’t have cancer where he is at. Lastly I no longer grieve as one who has no hope (of reunion) and you don’t have to grieve over those who have died in Christ either…. If you are in Christ too.

 

I was going through some papers in my papa’s shop some months after he died and I found some of his hand written sermon notes and his typed testimony.  Here is a quote in my papa’s own words “… while knowing who Christ was, but not as my personal Savior, until 1955 when I repented and asked Him to indwell me and what a different life I live…” – Mike McGraw.

 

I don’t grieve as one who has no hope, and you don’t have to either.

 

Yep, papa was in Christ. No doubt.

 

1 Thess 4:13-18 (ESV)   ¹³ But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. ¹⁴ For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁵ For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁶ For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷ Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. ¹⁸ Therefore encourage one another with these words.

What determines your worth?

Some of you who know me know that I am a decent welder. The job I currently have requires me to do a lot of different things and welding isn’t something that I have to do in that work, but today I was asked to take a welding test because my company needed some help in that area. I didn’t think it was going to be a big deal and my job in no way was on the line. I took the test and thought I did ok not to have done this particular welding process in years, but guess what….. I failed the test. It is always embarrassing when we fail, particularly in front of peers and friends. But you know what? When we fail at something and our own self worth is challenged, even if your stock goes down in other people’s eyes, God doesn’t see us as one bit less valuable to Him. If we get our sense of value from the correct place we are still ok. I was reminded today of something important and that is this: My value and sense of worth comes from Whose I am and not from who I am or what I can do. The truth is that my value, and yours as well, is determined by what He thinks of me and not what any one else thinks of me or even what I think of myself.

 

What do you think? How do you maintain a proper perspective and sense of worth? 

 

Prov 22:4 (ESV)

 

The reward for humility and fear of the Lord is riches and honor and life.