Love to hear from and know who is listening
Have you ever went into a convenience store and seen a life size cardboard cutout of a person and for a moment thought they were real? Casey's Convenience Stores recently had a promotion where they would bring a free concert to your town with country music star, Lee Brice. Everyone of their stores had a life size cardboard cutout of Lee Brice. I am not a country music fan so I didn't recognize him right away, to me he just looked like another customer in the store. I can't tell you how many times looked at the cardboard customer and almost said, “How you doing?” No kidding my mouth would be open, the words were on the tip of my tongue and at the last second I realized it wasn't real.
Unfortunately some Christian resemble cardboard cutouts, from a distance they seem real but if you get up close you soon realize that their relationship with God is a bit superficial and really has no substance. When I was a young man I was in immature Christian, I was a cardboard cutout Christian! Life can be really difficult if you have a superficial relationship with Christ, with your spouse, your brother, sister or anyone for that matter. When turbulent times come to you and they will you sooner or later you realize the depth of your relationships and who will really be their to support you when the times get tough.
The most turbulent years of my life came from 1988 to 1990. In 1988 my son Jerry Craig passed away. He was just 3 months old and most of those 3 month were spent in the hospital. If my memory is correct he was home and out of the hospital less than 1 week. Then in 1990 my second son, Levi Blake was stillborn. It was so difficult a time in my life that I didn't even realize that Levi had died on fathers day until one year later when I went to put flowers on his grave! I was overcame with emotions from all that had happened and broke down in tears. I did more than just cry, I was so overcame with sadness that I cried uncontrollably. I wept, I sobbed to the point I could barely catch my breath.
Romans 8:28 NIV And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
How can the death of your children be a good thing? As a “Cardboard Christian” I didn't have a deep enough relation with God to see any good reason for this! I can tell you one thing with absolute certainty, if it had not been for the fact that I had parents and grandparents that were rock solid Christians with a much deeper and stronger relationship with the Heavenly Father than I had, I would have never survived those years!
If you love God, you can trust that He is working for your good, even when you can't see the good, even when most turbulent times overwhelm you! Secondly, He works for “those who are called according to His purpose.” Do you realize that following God entails submitting to His purpose for you? This means you need be more than a cardboard Christian. You need to have more than just a superficial relationship with God. Did you know you have been called by Him for a purpose! Yes we are all called to serve God! Not all of us are called to be a missionary in a far away country, or to be a preacher leading God's people or even a Sunday school teacher, but we are all called to serve Him. For me my calling is to be rock solid Chirstain Father to my children just like my father and grandfather were for me. I pray that my children never have to go through turbulent times in their lives. I pray they never have to experience the emotional pain of a funeral for one of their children, but if they do I will be first to show them how much God loves them and how much I love them!
