In His Image

I know that this song is an old one but I just found it a couple of weeks ago and it has blessed me so much! It was written by Bill & Gloria Gaither and the music was written by Buddy Greene.

I doubt that there is any one who is still reading this due to my long absence, and maybe the content or ability of this writer.  However I have not forgotten this blog, but have resigned myself to the fact that in the scheme of Christian life and fatherhood, there are other responsibilities that must come first.

One of the thoughts that have been going around my head is this;  There is such a strong connection between the image we have of our earthly father, and the way we see God.  I have often seen this in other people but only recently come to realize what I leaving to my children.

Take for instance the woman who had a very angry father and rarely, if ever, heard praise or expressions of love from him.  She is very prone to see God in the same light and finds it hard to reconcile the God that she reads in the Bible, who loves her and cares for her personally, when the only earthly example she has is giving her a drastically different picture!  This is just one case in point but you get my drift.  The children of a loving, adoring father, have a hard time coming to grips with the unswerving justice and judgment of God, etc.

My questions that keep running through my head are these.  Why would God choose such failing creatures to imprint a picture of Him onto the soft impressionable hearts and minds of our children?  You heard the old adage, “Children never really grow up, until they become parents.  Then their children ‘raise’ them.”  I have made so many blunders already that I wonder if I will ever be able to show them more accurately who their Father REALLY is!!  It really can put the weight on you to make sure that you always walk straight and true to God’s truth!  Just this afternoon, I found my eldest son again emulating one of my baser struggles.  When he did not get his brother to comply with his wishes by asking in a normal volume of voice, he ratcheted it up a notch and used a tone that stated loud and clear that he was not going to be trifled with in this issue!  I reprimanded him for it but found myself realizing afresh that my children are learning daily, that which I do not seek to teach!

The second question is this, since I have and earthly and imperfect father, how do I overcome the somewhat skewed picture I have of God?  I have read the Bible for many years and have found the Lord to be most precious on many fronts, but I still keep coming back to that same tinted glass view of what I think God is!  I seem unable to see Him from the “other” perspective, or if I do catch a glimpse, it is always secondary to my original view!  Is this the way that God wants it to be?  Is this the heritage I am destined to leave my children? 

I so long to see God for who He really and truly is and to then do my best to exemplify Him to my children.  And if I find what God shows me to be a “better” way, how do I implement that without hurting my earthly father or thinking less of him for his humanness?

Truly the weight of fatherhood is not to be taken lightly, but it pains me so to see the imperfect shadow that I am leaving behind and that they will have to walk in!  Oh God, help me walk true!!

Lee Justin Hess (23) of Trail, MN died in an automobile accident at 10:40 P.M. on Dec 19, 2006. He was born in Centralia, IL on January 24, 1983.

Lee assisted his family in grain farming in Northwestern MN. He was a member of Kitchi Pines Church near Pennington, MN. He has participated in mission and relief projects in Pakistan, Indonesia, and Thailand on several occasions.

He is survived by parents, William L. and Carol J. Hess, two brothers, Philip (21) and Kurt (16), three sisters, Judith (13), Laura (11) and Pearl (9). He is also survived by paternal grandparents, Oliver F. and Dorothy M. (Witmer) Hess of Russellville, KY and maternal grandmother Elva (Keens) Martin of Kell, IL. He was preceded in death by his maternal grandfather Elmer G. Martin.

Viewing will be on Dec 26^th from 6-8 P.M. at the Evangelical Covenant Church in Bemidji, MN. Funeral services will be on Dec 27^th at 10:00 AM. at the same location followed by interment at the Wildwood Cemetery near Pennington, MN.

Many of you may remember about our quick trip in east to help my brother and sister-in-law to build an addition onto their house.  We just got a call from them this afternoon that their second daughter has been having headaches and so they took her to the doctor a few days ago and the doctor recommended they get a CAT scan done.  The scan was done today and instead of days for the results, they got a call this afternoon that Regan has a tumor pressing on her brain.

The are currently trying to find someone to help do the work on the farm while they go up to Roanoke to have the surgery done.  Please pray for them and for wisdom as they make many decisions that they have never had to face before.

Have you ever had a song that just wouldn’t leave your head. It just goes around and around and never seems to quit! Sometimes it is not a bad thing, like the polite burp after a Thanksgiving meal, all the good tastes are still there. Other times it’s not the kind of song you want and just like a bit of bad cheese that you ate, it goes around and around and around and finally either comes up or settles down and behaves itself!

This afternoon the song “I Could Not Do Without Thee,” has been occupying the repeat cycle in my mind. This is not a bad thing since it reminds me in such a beautiful way that;

I could not do without thee
I cannot stand alone.
I have no strength or goodness,
no wisdom of my own.
But Thou beloved Savior,
Art all in all to me
And weakness will be power
If leaning hard on Thee

I could not do without Thee,
O Jesus Saviour, dear;
E’en when my eyes are ‘holden,
I know that Thou art near.
How dreary and how lonely
This changeful life would be
Without the sweet communion,
the secret rest with Thee!I could not do without Thee,
For years are fleeting fast,
And soon in solemn loneness,
The river must be passed.
But Thou wilt never leave me,
And though the waves roll high,
I know that Thou wilt be near me,
And whisper, “It is I.”

This song was sung by the Soundforth Singers and Orchestra. We found this CD after the death of Krystal Yoder and heard the song, “We Are Not Alone.” We bought the CD for that song alone and were so blessed with the rest of the whole album. It has such a quiet and peaceful tone that we often have it playing in the house while the children are waking up, or when they need to settle down! If you would like to hear a sample from each of the 14 tracks click on the picture below. In todays atmosphere of harsh, grating music, I love when people refer me to good, solid music, and thus I want to return the favor! Have a blessed day!