October 31, 2007
We’re not the future of the church…
A student sent this to me yesterday. As he thought about the fall retreat, and especially what was said around the bonfire, he wrote…
“You’ll see him sitting in the corner,hoping someone, anyone will be his
friend, he’s looking for attention, that so far hes never found…
You’ll find her at her mirror, crying, praying the world around her
could disapear,she feels inferior to those girls she sees in those
magazines…
If we as the church could open up our eyes…maybe, just maybe, we could
do something
...something,
anything
(can’t you see it’s killing them?
we’re not the future of the church, so lets act like it)”
Pray that our students would “act like it” and take the Gospel to their friends with passion and urgency.
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October 29, 2007
A Weekend to Remember
This weekend, 36 high school and junior high students, and 8 brave adults, went to Rock River Christian Camp for our annual fall retreat. It was an amazing weekend filled with laughs and tears…but not much sleeping!
We arrived on Friday night at about 9:00 PM and, after letting the students explore the grounds for a while, had our first session. We focused on “who do you say that I am?” from Matthew 16:8. The Jewish leaders were really confused about who the Christ would be. The people thought Jesus was one of the great prophets come back to life. But Peter, speaking for the group, under the direction of the Holy Spirit, said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” It was the first time someone other than a demon had called Him the Christ. It also was the turning point for His whole ministry. After Peter’s declaration, Jesus turns toward Jerusalem and walks resolutely toward the cross.
We explored C.S. Lewis’ idea that Jesus had to be a “liar, lunatic, or the Lord.” He couldn’t have been just a good moral teacher, as some claim He was, because He claimed to be God. He could have have been a lunatic, like a man who thinks himself a poached egg, or He was exactly who Peter said He was - the Christ, the Son of the Living God.
Saturday morning we got up and ate breakfast and then did some team building. Ken and Kara came up with some great games and the teams, (The Juicy Lemons, the Giant Robotic Manti, the Screaming Monkeys, and Nature), had to play “Playdough Pictionary.” We have some really creative artistic students in our group.
The second session focused on the humanity of Jesus. It is really important to understand that Jesus was actually 100% human. The students came up with nearly 30 ways we knew He was human - He was born and grew up, He cried, got hungry, tired, angry, frustrated. He had friends, He felt lonely. He was betrayed. He suffered and died. Why is it important?
* Because Jesus was human, He knows how we feel. Hebrews 4:14-16. We have an advocate that knows what we are talking about when we feel betrayed by our best friend. He knows how we feel when we feel like tired or frustrated or angry or sad. That gives us tremendous confidence to approach God’s throne and ask for mercy and help.
* Because Jesus was human, He knows what is like to be tempted. Hebrews 2:17-18. We talked seriously about some of the things that teenagers are tempted by and the fact that Jesus overcame temptation with the Word of God.
* Because He was fully human, He could be our representative on the cross. He had to be able to suffer and die. And He did that for us!
The discussion time after that session was rich as students opened up and share some of the things they are struggling through right now.
After a great lunch, we had free time all afternoon. It was gorgeous and I spent most of the time play outside. I played basketball with a bunch of students and watched Kelly Ruther make the guys look bad! She is a baller! I also played football with a group of students. I put on Troy’s “underarmor” but had to take it off because the guy’s were so jealous of my buffness! I filmed some girl’s, who shall remain nameless, jumping of the roof of their dorm. (They threatened me!). Took a walk down by the river and found a group of students exploring. Lydia discovered some “stinging nettles.” (Not fun at all!)
I then participated in a round-table theology discussion. Wow! What incredible questions! We discussed issues like, Could Jesus have sinned? Where did Adam and Eve go when they died? Why did God create satan if He knew He would rebel against Him? What about tatoos, interacial dating, and women pastors? It was great to have Joe Myzia, the walking concordance, with us to help. I finished our free time with a mean time of the “dice game.” This is a hard to explain, very funny and violent game.
After supper, Dan, one of the RCC staff, took us on a hayride. It was dark, the moon was coming up, and the trails were shrouded in fog - it was beautiful.
Our third team time gave them the “magic shoes” challenge. It took them a while but, as a team, they finally figured it out.
Session three focused on Jesus’ divinity. The students brainstormed again and came up with many different ways we know He was God - born of a virgin, did miracles, raised the dead, walked on water, claimed to be God, rose again. These are just a few of the many things that filled the white board. The most important thing we focused on was the fact, if Jesus was was raised from the dead, which is impossible, what impossible situation is in your life that God has the power to change? This question lead to several students breaking down and talking about some impossible situations in their lives that they are praying for God to work His power.
We taught the students a really hard theology term, the “Hypostatic Union” to drive home the point that Jesus was 200% authentic - fully God, fully Man.
After that session, we went down to the bonfire and had a time of worship and sharing. It is at the bonfire that God did some amazing things. Several students opened up and shared the story of their family struggles, particularly how addiction struggles have hurt them. Several students cried as they shared about losing someone close to them lately. Two or three students challenge the rest of them to step it up a notch at school and to live out what they say they believe. A student shared how important it is to reach out and be a friend to people who are lonely. As we ate Smores, there was a group of students that surrounded on of the students and just begin praying for her. It was a holy sight. God convicted and comforted several students.
After the bonfire, we watched an incredible movie called “The Second Chance” staring Michael W. Smith. It is a really deep movie and we started out with about 25 students watching it. By the end, there were just four high school students and me! But those high school students “got it.”
Sunday morning’s session was a video from the Willow Creek Leadership Summit from 2006. Bill Hybels took about 25 minutes and just walked through what “substitutionary atonement” means. At the end, about 100 people walked on stage with signs. On the front of the sign was what they used to be, then they would flip it and it was what they are now: “Alone…found a church family.” Out of all the signs, one seemed to stick out more than the rest. “Played church for 40 years….on the great adventure with Jesus.”
The students were asked to take a sheet of paper and spend 30 minutes alone and totally silent and write their signs. They came back and share their signs with their group. One of the signs I saw was “Good church kid” and the other side read something like, “On fire for Jesus.” b It was an amazing time with many more tears.
We ate lunch, cleaned up, got on the bus and came home. And I collapsed and slept 13 hours!
Thanks to the parents who trusted us enough to take their students away for the weekend. We had several young ones who had nver been on any kind of trip like this. Thanks to the wonderful adult leaders - Andy and Julie Rayburn, Ken (on a severely sprained ankle) and Kara Hinds (and baby Hinds), Joe and Jenn Myzia, Ally Peck, and Josiah Hanson. I could not have asked for a better team this weekend! Thanks to all who prayed for us.
I’d like to end this post with a song that a group of students wrote about the retreat on Saturday afternoon. They actually ended our retreat by singing it for us live. “Reality” is a group consisting of Alli and Jeesi Leacock and Lena Grimes. They are quite mature songwriters and I look forward to having them do a concert for us in the future.
Who do you say that I am
by reality
you’re there when i need you
a loving friend at all times
you’re there when i fell down
you always know what i’m going through
who do you say that i am
you’re so indescribable
words just don’t fit the way they should
merciful mighty gracious and good
there’s just so many names
nothing’s too big for you to forgive
you can erase my sins i’ll try again
i know i’ve messed up i’m confessing my sins
i’ll lead by example and try to forgive
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October 27, 2007
3:00 AM? I’m too old!
I’m currently at Rock River Christian Center in Polo, IL. We left last night at about 6:00 PM and arrived at about 9:00 PM. It is a beautiful campus and it looks like it will be a great day. We had our first session last night and talked about “Who do you say that I am?” (Matthew 16). We challenged the students to consider that question personally. At about 3:00 AM I told the boys to GO TO BED!!! I am much to old to stay up till 3:00! But…we were having such a good time. I was able to sing “Rise and Shine” morning to get our boys up. Then we had an amazing breakfast. Lydia and Michelle led us in some “Core Strengthening” exercising. Now we are all buff!
I’m thankful for the adult leaders that are here:
Jenn and Joe Myzia, Ally Peck, Josiah Hanson, Andy and Julie Rayburn, and Ken and Kara Hinds. Last night I gave each of them a packet of seeds to help them remember that their jobs this weekend is to “plant seeds.” We prayed that each adult would have the opportunity to have a significant conversation with at least one student.
We are about to have a leader’s meeting then session two. Pray as we explore the humanity of Jesus.
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October 26, 2007
My people die for a lack of knowledge
Tonight, I am leading 38 junior high and high school students, and eight brave adults, to Rock River Christian Center in Polo, IL for our annual fall retreat. It’s going to be a blast! There will be lots of eating and games, a hayride and bonfire, corporate worship and teaching sessions.
Every year I focus our teaching on apologetics. Two years ago, we went through the spiritual disciplines of fasting, prayer, journaling, silence, and Bible Study. Last year, we went through the Hebrew and Greek names of God. This year, we are focusing on Christology - the study of Jesus.
There will be four sessions:
* Who do you say that I am? - (Who is Jesus?)
* A New Way to be Human - Jesus is 100% Human
* God in a Bod - Jesus is 100% God
* The Best Substitute Ever! - The theology of Atonement
Please pray as I try to help teenagers understand concepts I learned in seminary.
I may think to yourself, “Why are they teaching apologetics to teenagers?” I turn to George Barna to help you understand. According to Barna’s research with students who identify themselves as Christians:
* 61% don’t believe that Jesus is the Son of the only true God
* 58% believe all faiths teach equally valid truth
* 51% don’t believe Jesus rose from the dead
* 65% don’t believe Satan is a real entity
* 68% don’t believe the Holy Spirit is a real entity
In another study, Barna found:
*63% believe Muslims, Buddhists, Christians and Jews and all other people pray to the same God, even though they use different names for their god.
*87% believe Jesus was a real person, 78% believe He was born of a virgin, 46% believed He committed sins, 51% said He didn’t rise from the dead.
*58% believe all religious faiths teach “equally valid truths.”
One more for you:
Newsweek and Beliefnet.com asked 1,004 Americans this question:
“Can a good person who doesn’t share your religious beliefs attain salvation and go to heaven?”
Are you sure you want to hear the answer?
68% of Americans who identified themselves as Evangelical Protestants, (that’s us), said yes. 68%!!!!!
(Stats taken from Steve Wright’s new book, “Rethink:Is Student Ministry Working?”)
Many of the students will go off to college and the stats are just as startling. Research shows that somewhere between 50 and 80% of students abandon their faith less than four years after graduation.
Hosea lamented that his people were “destroyed by a lack of knowledge.” (Hosea 4:6).
Would you please pray RIGHT NOW that we could communicate this crucial material to the students and they would GET IT? It really is a mater of spiritual life and death!
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October 25, 2007
Survey Says
This past August, I attended the Leadership Summit at Willow Creek Community Church. They were in the middle of some fascinating research about spiritual life and formation in their own congregation. Someone approached them and asked if they would like to do a broader survey of 500 churches. The leadership thought this was a great idea but the cost would be astounding. Just then, a church member walked in and wrote a check to cover the whole thing!
When they announced that they would be taking applications, my brother and I both quickly entered our churches. Well guess what? Pontiac Bible Church was chosen to be a part of this national spiritual life survey! This is a BIG deal and something to be really excited about!
How does it work, you ask? It’s easy. On November 5, we will make a weblink available to you by email and on the website. You click on it, take a 20 minute survey, and you’re done! The survey is anonymous and we will not see any “raw” data. But we will get a detailed report of the spiritual health and trends of our congregation. We we also be able to compare ourselves to 499 other churches around the nation. And we will be included in the research findings that will come out in book form sometime in the future. All of this will be absolutely free! (Research results like this would normally cost thousands of dollars).
This is perfect timing; God’s timing. With our 40th Anniversary coming up soon, it is such a Godsend to be able to have this data available to us as we plan and prepare for our next steps.
As the time for the survey gets closer, you will be hearing more about it. Just a note, it is only for people who are associated with PBC, attenders and members, over the age of eighteen. When survey research is done, 20% participation is considered good. I want to see 40% participation at PBC!
.
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October 24, 2007
The Theology of Bucky
Most students have heard me talk about “Bucky” and many of our female students are praying for their Bucky to come along.
Bucky is the generic name for their future husbands. Some have objected to my idea that God has a Bucky out there for these waiting students. But the concept of Bucky is more “painting a picture” than stating a deep, theological truth. Bucky will “love Jesus infinitely more than he will love you.” Bucky will “love you as Christ loves the church…” “Bucky will honor and cherish…bring you roses for nothing…be the spiritual leader of your home…and be a man that you can be proud of….he will work hard…he will be your teammate…he will do his own laundry (that’s my personal favorite)...and he will be a man after God’s own heart.” This is our expectation for them. If we hold the bar high enough, some students will jump to grab it. Bucky is what these female students must wait for and to settle for less would be a tragedy. Do you think I am exaggerating?
In the past two weeks, I have talked to several former students who settled for less than a Bucky and are now resentful and struggling. Picking a marriage partner is the second most important decision that a person will make. The first, of course, is to surrender their lives to the great adventure of faith in Jesus Christ.
Kara’s small group spent time writing out their expectations of what they are looking for in a husband. She then challenged them not to settle for less. Too many of our students, particularly female students, seem to throw their dreams away on any guy that will pay a little attention to them.
This is important because these students will grow up and marry, and according to stats, over half of them will divorce. We must instill in them the “Power of the Bucky” now before it’s too late.
A student was sitting on a stool at our kitchen counter one day and asked me if I knew why she came over all the time. She said, “I come over to watch you be a husband and to watch you guys be a family. I want my family to be like yours when I get older.” Now, don’t go thinking that we are something to model your life after but she saw something she wanted.
If you are a guy reading this…seek to be a Bucky. Read books. Ask older men to help you. Do not run after girls. Run hard after God and His Word and Ways.
If you are a girl reading this…do not seek a Bucky! (Like in “Brother, Where art Thou?” - do not seek the treasure!) That may confuse you but here’s how I think it works. Spend your time becoming a WOG (woman of God). Go on dates with Jesus. Concentrate on what God thinks of you and not what the cute guy in second period thinks. Why? Because Bucky’s are attracted to WOGS. The only way to “catch” a MOG is by becoming a WOG.
If you are an adult and you have suffered through the pain of divorce, let me recommend two things. First attend the Divorce Care that meets at PBC on Wednesday nights. Second, talk to students about what went wrong and how they can avoid the same situation.
If you are an adult who is blessed to have a strong marriage, invite students into your house for a little “show and tell.” Talk to them about what has been the secrets of your success. Several years ago, we invite four couples to speak to our high school students. Combined they had been married almost 125 years!
All of this rambling was sparked by a great commentary I read this morning. I love what he writes at the end, “Are you in the position where your marriage is crumbling before your very eyes? If so, take action today. Don’t let divorce end it all. Remember, your trial today could eventually be your testimony tomorrow.”
Read and then take some time to pray for our students to become MOGs and WOGS.
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October 22, 2007
The Last Lecture
Not long after I was saved, I remember sitting in the balcony at First Evan in Memphis listening to a guy in his 30s with not much time to live. He was amazing! He spoke of the hope of heaven and how good God was. I was deeply moved.
Today, I had that same feeling again.
There is a tradition in academic circles of the “last lecture.” What would you say to a class if you knew it was your last lecture? For Dr. Randy Pausch, it was not a hypothetical idea but a traumatic reality. He is 46 years old with 3 children under five and dying of pancreatic cancer. He is a prof of computer science at Carnegie Mellon and gave his last lecture to a class of 450. Since that time, the video that was down loaded on You Tube has been hit over one million times!
I was touched by his humor and his “Tigger” attitude. He has such wisdom and has lived life to the full. Now he is dying. And, as he put it, “that stinks.” I do not know where he stands with Christ. He mentioned “karma” at one point and there are a couple of swear word.
Here is a a page with all the links to watch the lecture and links to his website. Watch it then stop and stop RIGHT NOW and pray for him and the wife and three little kids he is so reluctantly leaving behind.
Here is a news story that give you a glimpse of Randy’s journey.
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October 22, 2007
Time to Step it Up
This weekend was filled with ministry and opportunities. Here are some highlights:
* I was at the football game on Friday night with my boys, which is a rare occurrence, and was able to honor the seniors. I had some great talks with students but nearly froze to death because of stubborn desire to wear shorts to the latest possible date!
I did see something that I thought was quite impressive. There was a group of junior high students leaning up against the shed on the tennis court side of the field. There was a junior high boy with a girl laying in his lap and he was holding her hand. On the other side of him, was another girl with her head on his shoulder and he was holding her hand! Man, they start young! He deserves a gold star for courage…or stupidity?
* Saturday, we attend the Tuley wedding at the church. Maxine, Beth, and Joan (The “Pastor’s Wives Trio” as I like to call them) played. I love watching Maxine play her cello. We went to the reception and I serenaded Maxine with cheesy old 80s love songs. We didn’t stick around for the dancing but went home to do what married people do - the laundry, lots of laundry! (What did you think I was going to say?) It was a beautiful wedding filled with country music. I have become a fan of “Rascal Flatts” over the past couple of years and sang along as a soloist did My Wish.
* Sunday morning had the honor of leading our corporate worship time. I just brought my five loaves and two little sardines worth of music talent before the Lord. We “chop-sticked” our way into the manifest presence of the Lord as the service ended with an appeal to Surrender everything to Christ because “a little is a lot in the hand of the Lord.”
* We also had a breakfast extravaganza upstairs in EQUIP before starting our new series “Underground Reality: Vietnam” that follows 8 high school students as they attempt to visit the underground church in Vietnam. Very powerful and I think incredibly important for the student to be aware of.
* After church we had a meeting to shore up our plans for the Fall Retreat this coming up weekend. It was a fun time of dreaming what God is going to do with the 37 students that He has arranged to be there. Our theme is “Who do you say that I am?”
* Last night at NEXT, we finished watching the GOSPEL Journey. In the last segment, Greg explains the Gospel again and then asks each student where they stood with Christ. In our small groups, I ask the leaders to do the very same thing. It was amazing to listen to the stories of what God is doing in our students’ lives. One student said that he had been relying on the church to much and it was time to “step it up” and really own his Christian walk. It doesn’t get better than that!
BTW, congratulations to Jessica Ruynon for being our Cedar Lake winner. We had 17 high school students that were here all six weeks. That’s fantastic!
Please continue to pray for us as we seek to reach out to teenagers with the hope of the gospel.
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October 21, 2007
Inside Out
So much of what we do in American Christianity is focused on outward behaviors - “I don’t drink, I don’t chew, I don’t go with girls who do.”
We think we if could just stop a behavior, or start a new habit, then we’ll be a “better” Christian.
God wants to do something so much more powerful and important.
He wants to change us from the inside out.
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October 20, 2007
You Crack me Up!
I cracked up when I saw this eggcellent video!
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October 19, 2007
MC Grant Daddy
This was created by Grant Armstrong, the associate pastor at the Methodist Church. Theology with a beat. Who would have ever thunk it! Wow! Pontiac has another hip-hop pastor like me! 
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October 19, 2007
Nothing in life is free
I had an opportunity to share the GOSPEL with an young man this week. I literally walked through what we have been teaching the students on Sunday and Wednesday nights:
God created us to be with Him
Our sins separate us from God
Sins can not be removed by good deeds
Paying the price for sin, Jesus died and rose again.
Everyone who trusts in Him alone has eternal life.
Life eternal means being with Jesus forever in heaven.
When I finished, I asked him if he was familiar with the story of the Gospel. He said that he had heard of Adam and Eve but the rest was new to him.
I took a deep breath and said, “What is keeping you from completely surrendering your heart to Jesus right now?”
His response caught me off-guard. He said,
“Nothing in life is free.”
I attempted to explain that while that axiom is normally true, it is NOT true in the story of redemption. I read from Ephesians 2:8-9:
“It is by grace [FREE] you have been saved, through faith, and this not from yourselves, it is the GIFT of God - not by works so that no one can boast.”
I told him that one day, whether it be 80 years or 8 days, he will stand before God and will realize that salvation was free for the offering.
There is just something inside humans that hate the idea that there is nothing we can do to earn our salvation. It’s like someone trying to give us a gift and we keep taking the checkbook out to pay for it.
Please, right now, I beg you, if you are in the “nothing is free” camp, swallow your pride and accept the free gift of eternal life offered through Jesus Christ.
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October 18, 2007
Be ready with an answer
Last night, as I walked through our junior high small groups, I was amazed at our leaders. Each group was not just answering questions but building community. There was a lot of laughter and the leaders are starting to see the fruit of their shepherding labors. I am again just overwhelmed by the group of leaders that God has brought us this year.
A big thank you to Joe and Jenn, Marty, Gideon, Shiann, Kat, Ally, Echo, Marti, Milt, Ken and Kara, Andy and Julie, Josiah, and Maxine. Without this group of committed leaders we would not be be able to reach as many students are we do.
As we grow, we continue to need more adult leaders, especially men. We are not talking about just any guy, but a very special one. Qualifications include a love for God and a heart for teenagers. That’s it. You don’t have to be young, hip, or know how to podcast. You just have remember what it’s like not to be able to get your locker open or have a zit the night of the big dance. And you have to be a little crazy to fit in with our team!
This morning, I met with a group of students to help plan the fall retreat. Actually, only two showed up but those two gave me all kinds of great ideas. I walked them through the teaching times and then asked my standard question, “So What?!”
Was Jesus 100% human? How do we know? Their answer? Because he was born, he grew, got tired, frustrated, and angry. He cried. He died.
So what that Jesus was 100% human? Their answer? Then He knows how we feel when we are tired or frustrated or angry or sad.
Was Jesus 100% God? How do we know? Their answer? He turned water into wine. He walked on water. He healed people. Made blind see. He transfigured Himself. He rose again.
So what that Jesus was 100% God? Their answer? The He could fulfill the requirements of the Law and act as our perfect sin substitute.
Pretty deep for 16 year olds, don’t you think?
As I was walking with one of those students down to the commons, (Where I always give the rest of my donuts away), I told him that I was very proud of him. He has been reading a lot and was really able to interact with the questions I threw at him. He said, “The Bible says to always be prepared to give an answer.”
He was paraphrasing I Peter 3:15-16:
“But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.”
How are doing in this area? Are you studying the Word so you can help people understand the hope you have in Christ? That’s why we have shown the students the “GOSPEL Journey” series. It helps them communicate what they believe and why.
Here’s my challenge to you today if you are an adult reading this post -
Are you going to be outdone by a bunch of teenagers?
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October 17, 2007
A new hamster and a new “Game Plan”
Thank you to those who called or sent word to Joshua that you were praying for him after the death of Hammy the Hamster. Several students in his class created a home-made card to cheer him up. I’ve also heard stories from several people about losing pets as children and how traumatic that can be.
Yesterday we welcomed a new hamster into the house. She is a little smaller than Hammy but seems to be good natured. Because this one is a female, we put her in the cage with “Smores,” Austin’s hamster. They seemed to like each other so the transition is going well all the way around.
Joshua’s heart will heal but it will take time.
We did something last night we rarely do. We went to movies on a school night. Laughter was needed so we saw “Game Plan.”
What a great family friendly movie. Seriously! The premise is that John Kingman is the hottest quarterback in the NFL with a love for all things Elvis and himself, especially himself! He is a confirmed bachelor and has his own life down until an eight year old shows up at his door announcing she is his daughter.
The movie appeals to girls because of ballet, ponies, and the fact the “bedazzles” his MVP football. I could identify with his absolute lostness in the world of “build your own doll” world!
The movie appeals to boys because it stars Dewayne “The Rock” Johnson and has lots of cool football. There are cameos by football players and ESPN announcers.
The movie will appeal to adults because it has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING objectionable in it! Not one cuss word. (In fact, one of the football players says the word “stupid” and Peyton corrects him, “Stupid is a mean word.”) Not one sexual innuendo. There is no “bad guy” out to get her. And the only “violence” is big hits on the field. That’s the only reason Maxine and I could propose for this film receiving a “PG” rating.
I saw several scenes I would love to use when I preach on November 25 (gaining the whole world but losing your soul). “The King” has everything but, when the lights go out and all the people leave, he sits in the amazing suite and all he really has is his dog. There is something missing.
How many people in our world “have it all” but are empty on the inside - Paris, Nicole, Lindsy, Brittney, and even Owen Wilson.
Pray for me as I start putting together some thoughts for that morning.
Check out the trailer. It leaves out the whole ballet part but you get the picture.
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October 16, 2007
Sad day at the Willams House
Last night, Maxine noticed that Joshua’s hamster, “Hammy” wasn’t making as much racket as usual. In fact, he had been quiet. Too quiet. We opened up his little house and found him curled up. It was obvious that he was dying. We tried to give him some water but Hammy died in Maxine’s hands.
We found a container and placed Hammy in it and I dug a grave in the backyard by the tree. It was starting to rain but we each something about Hammy and I buried him.
Do not ever underestimate the power of a pet! Joshua is devastated. He cried last night. He thought it was his fault. Maybe he didn’t play with him enough. Maybe he feed him something that made him sick. In the end, he simply kept saying, “Hammy was the best hamster in the world. He is irreplaceable.” He literally cried himself to sleep.
Austin was upset as well. As was I. Hammy was a really great hamster. He was friendly and liked to rubbed. He would play in his ball and was the star of many of Joshua’s movies.
I thought of our current series about questions here at PBC when he asked, “Why do the good die young?” I knew he meant something deeper than Hammy. He still misses his grandmother (Maxine’s mother) who died two years ago.
I talked to him about Jesus crying when his friend Lazarus died and read Psalm 23 to him. We talked about “death being a part of life.” My heart hurt for my son’s heart.
Sadly, I know that this is just one of many times death will intrude on his life.
Would you please stop and say a prayer RIGHT NOW for Joshua? He needs God’s comfort right now.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 10/16 at 12:25 PM •
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