Things We Love, Loosely Held
The emotion of watching my son graduate high-school and God’s presence in every season
Even though you know the day is coming and even though its a day for which you have prepared your child since their first tiny breaths, nothing prepares you for the moment when your child walks down the aisle with their classmates and accepts a diploma. I’ve been a bit absent in this newsletter for the last few weeks because of the graduation of my son, Daniel, from high-school. This season has been filled with final banquets, ceremonies, and events. Though my daughter, Grace, graduates a few years ago and that itself was an emotional time, I wasn’t any more ready or any less emotional this time.
It’s a unique stewardship we’ve been given as parents. On the one hand, we are so incredibly proud of our son and his many accomplishments and awards. We are thrilled to see him attend Samford University in the fall. This is the way of things, the cycle of life, the way in which young boys grow up into young men.
At the same time, graduation marks a new beginning, where we will see less of him, as he goes off to college and into the vocation and future to which God has called him. The house will be bit less fun. The football games I watch on TV will be less lively, even if I’ll be texting him every five minutes. There will be fewer late-night talks, fewer footballs tossed in the yard, fewer rides to church and impromptu hanging at the coffee shop.
God give us children as a stewardship. Like “arrows in the hand of a warriors” Psalm 127 tells us. Our children are really not ours, but ultimately they are God’s children. He loves them—if we can believe this—even more than we do. Yet we are human and party of our creatureliness is our ability to feel, to hold emotion, to grow attached to people we love. As parents, of course, if we hang on too tightly to our children, we’ll hurt them. If we make them into idols around which our entire life revolves, we’ll end up disappointed by the ways they can’t do what only God can do. And we’ll hurt them. So we have to let them go. We have to let them fly into the world into which God has called them. But it ain’t easy.
Notes:
World published my latest column, this time on the 50th anniversary of the publication of two influential books: How Should We Then Live by Francis Schaeffer and Born Again by Chuck Colson. Both of these men have had a profound influence on my life. I came to Schaeffer late, not knowing his influence on the lives of others had an influence on me. But How Should We, Whatever Happened to the Human Race, The Mark of a Christian, and many others are treasures I return to. When I was a young pastor, a benevolent lay person gifted me the entire Schaeffer set.
Chuck Colson was a voice I heard early in my life, first on the radio in the car back and forth to school. His distinct voice commenting on cultural matters played at a certain time every day on the show Breakpoint on Moody Radio in Chicago. My friend John Stonestreet still faithfully continues that show for the ministry of The Colson Center. Colson’s books had a profound impact on me as well: Born Again, How Now Shall We Live, Kingdoms in Conflict, The Body, God and Government, and so many others. Both of these men were giants. And their words still resonate today. Here’s a short excerpt from my column:
Schaeffer and Colson were gifts to the body of Christ in the 20th century and their impact is still being felt today. While each had distinctive ministries, what they shared in common was an evangelist’s heart, a love for the people of God, and a fervent belief in the church’s vital place in influencing society. We’d be wise to heed them.
Fifty years after these books were released, they are still worth reading and applying. We should thank God for giving us Francis Schaeffer and Chuck Colson. May we live similar lives of purpose and service to Christ’s kingdom.
You can read the whole thing here.
Today is also the day my new book, Biblical Wisdom for Everyday Life is released from B&H Publishing. I wrote about it a few months ago and even included an excerpt:
What I’m Reading:
You’ll notice a theme. It’s America 250 and I’m reading books in that vein until I start reading, in earnest, for my PhD seminar in the fall:
What Conservatives Believe by Mike Pence. I’m reviewing this book for The Acton Institute. I appreciate the former VP’s consistency and his persuasive call for conservatives to stick to core beliefs.
The Case for America by Bret Baier. I’m listening to the audiobook versions of this book by the host of Special Report on Fox News. It’s a very balanced, but optimistic case for America.
A few on my “to read” stack: American Convenant by Yuval Levin and How to Live Well by Alan Noble.