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Letter From Earnest – July 2018

July 2018 – A LETTER FROM EARNEST

 

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ,

By the time you read this, Father’s Day will have passed. This holiday has always produced many mixed     emotions for me because I have never known who my biological father was. I do not know his name, what he looks like, or any of his traits. It is a holiday that I have never celebrated and I find it intriguing that there are boys and men who look forward to conveying love and appreciation for their dads.

With all that said, the God of all creation has fathered and provided for me. After learning that God Himself had promised He would be a father to the fatherless I have called on Him many times to remind Him of His promise. I have expressed my concerns and confessed my needs and I am happy to tell you that He remains true to His word. Many times, through the printed word, He has given me direction. At other times, His still small voice has spoken to me in my heart. At other times He used my mother who had experienced many failed relationships with men. Because of this, she had some idea of what a good man should be, and she was intentional in trying to teach us what was required of us to be good men.

I can still remember her saying, “If your father was here and if he cared, he would teach you such things as honor, courage, and integrity. He would challenge you to be strong physically and remind you to always stand up for right and to be bound by your word. He would challenge you to never start a fight, but always be prepared in case you should have to fight. He would teach you how to work and enjoy the pride that comes from a job well done. He would teach you how to protect your children from predators who deceive and come to rob, kill, steal, and destroy. But since your father is not here, it falls upon me to teach you these characteristics and attributes, so that if you are ever privileged to be a father, your sons and daughters will know they are loved, valued, and protected. Your children will know that they are capable because they are endowed by God himself and you as their father. You would teach these attributes to your children so that they can build a better future for those who come after you.”

In closing, it amazes me that God has taken my own personal brokenness and deficits and He is using them to allow me to speak to a generation of young people who are very much like me. It makes me glad to know that my suffering has not been in vain. Please continue to pray for us and thank you for all you do to help.

 

With gratitude,
Your brother in Christ,

 

Earnest