Hear the Whispers

One night, while my wife and I were mid-conversation, the sound of my son's cries caught our attention. Of course, due to the affect a child's tears have upon the heart of a father, I immediately stopped what I was doing and went to my son.

Picking him up, I wrapped him in my arms - intending to comfort him. I already knew the reason for which he was crying out for my attention, but he continued to cry inconsolably. As he continued wail and scream, I began to whisper, "Asher... Asher. I am right here; I have you. It is alright, Asher. I am here... Asher." Despite my gentle whispers, and my best efforts to comfort my son with my presence, he persisted to yell and howl - unable to hear my whispers over the sound of his own voice. I desperately wanted my beloved child to hear my voice, and know that I was there!

As I continued to whisper my child's name, I heard God whisper to my soul, "How often have you done the same?" This made me realize that I have done the same thing - over and over again. I began to wonder how often I, in crying out for the Father's attention, failed to hear the Most High whisper my name. Perhaps, we do the same thing; we drown out the sound of God’s voice with the vociferous dissonance of our cries and one-sided prayers. How often does our Heavenly Father whisper our names – and attempt to comfort us with His presence – and yet we fail to notice?

Often, we rest comfortably in arms of our Heavenly Father, yet we are content to keep our eyes closed to His presence and ignore the whispers of His voice. Let us hear the whispers; let us attune our hearts to the gentle voice of our Father. No matter what we are going through, God remains near His children! Though we feel like fussing and complaining, let us take comfort and find peace in the Presence of God – for He is always there and He calls us by name.

 

Heart's Cry

     Something remarkable happens when one becomes a father. This experience brings with it a unique revelation of the connection that is shared between a father and his child. It seems impossible to describe, but it is a connection that reaches past the natural and touches the very heart. Perhaps the best way to express this connection and relationship, is to explain what takes place when a father hears his child cry.
     To a loving father, to hear the sound of his child's cry is much more than hearing - it is feeling. It is to hear the wails and have one's heart moved. It is to assimilate tears of the child. A father's heart is moved to respond to the sounds of his child - to respond to the needs behind the cry!
It is as though the father's heart cries with the child. As his child calls out for the attention of his father, the father's heart wells with tears to meet the need of his beloved. The cries seem to tear the vail of indifference and allow direct access to the father's soul.
     Upon experiencing this connection first hand, I cannot help but consider how God feels when He hears the cries of His children. As indescribable the anguish and heartbreak of a father who hears the desperate calling of his child, so
also is the Heart of the Father for His children. I can only, now, image how our cries touch the heart of our Heavenly Father. When we call out in need, The Father's heart is moved - moved to meet the needs of His child.
      This tells me that EVERY tear and EVERY cry is not only heard by our Father, it is felt. We can be sure that our God will torridly desire to meet the needs of His children, EVERY time we call out to Him. With this new found insight into fatherhood, let us be encouraged to call out to our Heavenly Father and know (without a doubt) that He will be moved by our prayers; and He will answer our prayers according to what is best for us!

-Dusty

Proud!

My wife and I are going through one of the most incredible experiences. We are on the journey of pregnancy. Miraculous! It is truly miraculous.

Currently, my wife is in her third trimester - a point in the baby's development where he begins to hear and recognize voices. This being the case, we feel it is appropriate to read portions of the Bible to him and talk to him. We do so that he may begin to familiarize himself with his parents.

 

One night, After finishing our passage about Moses, I began to speak to my child. As I was speaking, I found myself saying, "I am proud of you!" This brought about an interesting gaze from my wife, and an interesting conversation. As we talked about how someone could be proud of their unborn child, we discovered something. We are proud of our soon-born baby, not because of something he did, because of the fact that he is our child.

We discussed how this is a picture of God's heart! How often has God said, "I am proud of you," not because of anything you did, said, or accomplished. While, I am sure those things matter (mostly to ourselves), God is proud of you BECAUSE YOU ARE HIS CHILD. Yes, we should use our freedom to walk in a manner worthy of the call God has placed on our lives; we should stand firm in the power of God and desire to change the world! Nevertheless, we should also rest in the fact that our Heavenly Father is proud of us. He is proud of us simply because we are His children. With this thought, go forth and enjoy the peace that comes from the favor of God!

- Dusty

"A True Jewel"

{Phil. 3:16}

            If a jewel is dropped into the dirt, it is still a jewel. Its circumstances do not change what it is. The soil, the depth, the lowly components found therein, none of these things undermine the integrity
or nature of the jewel. Not even the amount of time it has spent hidden in the confines of its earthen-
prison matters; it is still a precious stone. Even if the expensive jewel is dropped into the dirt, it is to
leave its impression in the dust.

Despite what we feel, or what our pasts have led us to believe, the work of God is holy. He is able, completely, to forgive us of our sins and cleanse us from the guilt of poor-choices. We devote our lives to following the ways of God, and God provides us with our true identity. He breathes into the dirt and creates a jewel; He establishes us as His children. By the work of God, we are righteous and pure. We are adopted by the Father – given entrance into His family.

It is like we have become a precious, raw stone in the hand of the Jeweler. He crafts and shapes and forms us for His purposes. With the tool of hardship in His hand, the Jeweler carefully sculpts His creation to reveal His mastery. By the end of His work, we are perfect – a polished and honed Jewel. Whether we are to be placed in the jewel studded hallway of the King’s courts, or we are to be delicately fastened to the King’s necklace, we are the magnificent display of the Lord’s glory and splendor.

In the meantime, while we are still being perfected and polished, we are no less than a Jewel. It is, now, in life’s valleys and mountains that we get to “live up to what we have already attained.” It is in this moment that we are enabled, by the work of God, to leave an impression upon the dust. We are given value and deemed worthy of the title, “children of God,” so let us begin living with purpose. Let us adorn the King with acts of kindness and compassion; Let us reveal the beauty of the Lord’s love; let us do something great that will leave an impression upon our circumstances. From a place of understanding our worth, let us live up to what we have already attained.

-          Dusty