WHAT DOES A 69 YEAR OLD HAVE TO SAY TO A 27 YEAR OLD
But For The Grace Of God
A really good friend of mine would always state when he heard of someone having a moral failure, "but for the grace of God, it could be me." He never underestimated how easy it could be to fail. All of us have failed in some way. I have surely made my mistakes. But for the grace and mercy of a loving God and family, I could be one of those to loose all the things that matter the most. It is what we do with the mistakes and who we look to for guidance in turning our life back in the right direction.
Be on guard that satan can attack you just as easily as the violist person you know. As parents, we had always prayed that our girls would marry a fine Christian young man. Our daughters, too, had offered that prayer for themselves. Fortunately, by the grace of God, those prayers were answered. We could not have been happier with the blessings God awarded in the men who came to marry our girls. They both were dedicated, Christ minded men.
It was after one of our daughters had been married fourteen years that she came to see us with the news that her husband was involved with another woman and was prepared to leave home. Needless to say, this was as shocking as it was hurtful. Our daughter offered forgiveness, I, along with professionals, offered counsel. Prayers went up from numerous friends and family, but there was a hardened heart that could not be reached. Our family had an empty chair at our Thanksgiving table. Our daughter hurt as no wife could ever hurt.
Our son-in-law had fallen into a trap of lies. He believed that it was never God's will for him to marry our daughter. He actually believed that his affair was in the will of God. He believed that his two boys, four and seven, would be fine. They would escape lasting hurt even though the youngest would never know what it was like to have a daddy in the home. He never knew of the nights that both boys would cry themselves to sleep over his actions. To this day, he does not realize how they long with deep heartache to just have one day alone with their dad. Oh, his dad has them every other weekend, a few hours on thursday nights, and he buys them expensive gifts. But he is not there.
I was taking our grandsons somewhere one day, when the youngest, now five, asked why I had the book THE MAN IN THE MIRROR in the back seat. I told him that I gave the books away. " For real Paw Paw?' Yes, for real Preston was my reply. After a short pause, "What are they about Paw Paw?" I explained that they were about how to be a Godly man. After a short pause he responded again, " for real Paw Paw?". Then with that little brain of his pounding, he asked if he could have a copy. I asked why and he responded that he wanted to give one to his dad. By this time his older brother chimed in with the warning that their dad would never read the book. Preston then advised his older brother that he would ask his dad to read it to him.
Preston took the book with him that day convinced that the book would open his dad's eyes and bring him home again. Needless to say, my heart ached for those two boys. My pleading prayer was that God would honor this young boys heartache and faith that the book would be the way God would answer his prayer. God did give his dad the opportunity to answer his son's prayer, but his dad refused to let God have His way.
Who would have ever thought this could happen in our family and to this young man. Our prayers for Godly husbands was fulfilled. Yet, he took the road of lies. A home has been destroyed. Two fine young men, now 16 and 14, have had to grow up without a dad experiencing their first date, shooting a few hoops with them after work, and leading them to Christ.
Take it from a 69 year old, there are forces in this world that are coming at us every day. Forces that have the power to destroy the strongest man. Be on guard and stand firm with the Power above all powers. But for the grace of God, it could happen to you. "May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth." Proverbs 5: 18
