"A Lesson I've Never Forgot"

    Early in my preaching I was everywhere. Everywhere any member of the Lord's body called me and bid me to come. Busy, busy, busy with the Lord's work. I knew this is what I needed to do or so I thought. I would even travel about just to meet some demands. Then two things came to me that forever changed my thinking and approach to my life of work. (To this day I believe the Lord put this in front of my eyes.)

  I came in late one afternoon. Tired from dealing with whatever it was I had to deal with. As I made my way to my chair, here came three little ones running up and jumping in my lap. With random words from everywhere my daughter spoke up, "Let's play daddy!" I immediately responded, "Let daddy rest a bit. He is tired!" Off the three little ones went into their world. It was two or three minutes and my phone rang. My wife said it was for me. I got up and answered (yes the days when we didn't have cell phones). I remember telling the people, "Ok, I'll be right over!" Hanging up the phone I turned around and standing right behind me was my little girl. Her eyes looking, gleaming at me but I could see disappointment in her face. I went that evening to do what I had to do but as I prayed about things, I came home later that evening and committed to the Lord that I would never put others ahead of my family (including my wife) unless it was an absolute emergency. I could say no to my kids but I couldn't say no to another? That hit me hard.

  The second thing came later that week. While visiting in the home of one of the brethren, the family was sharing with me what had happened in their lives. They lost all their children (four to be exact) to the world! Their children were still an important part of their lives as well as their grandchildren. All four children eternally lost and now their own children are leading their grandchildren even further from the Lord and it pained them. I asked looking back if they knew what went wrong. The father looked at me and said, "Busy! Just busy working and going! I took little time to teach and train and now I am responsible for the outcome." It hurt him deeply but too late. My mind went back to looking at the face of my daughter.

  From that day, I have always made certain that behind God I placed my family and their spiritual well being above all other things. It was taking time for them, making sure when we had our family time it was family time. No TV or any other interference. It was us as a family.

  Today, I am very thankful for all my children and their trying to be faithful and train my grandkids to be faithful. Like me, they don't do everything as we would expect but they have a heart for the Lord and His word. Let me leave you with this. If there is only one thing you accomplish on this earth let it be this: train your children to love the Lord with all their heart! And that doesn't come just by taking them to church!! It is something lived before their eyes that they see in you and hear in you. It's putting the Lord before the world. It's teaching to draw from the resources of God rather than the resources of the world. It's life, my life lived in the life of God and it will have effects for generations to come! Who knows, three or four generations down the road, will your family know anything about God and the truth of His word? It depends what you are instilling now!