You will know them by their Fruit

One of my favorite movies is "Saving Private Ryan."  I have watched it 3 times, I have watched other movies more, but this film always has a powerful effect on me.  The most powerful scene for me is the scene near the end of the film where an elderly Ryan, for whom we saw so many sacrifice so much, is shaken by emotion as he looks at the grave of one of the men responsible for saving him.  through his tears, he pleads with his wife, asking her to reassure him that he was a good man, that the life he has led was worthy of the sacrifice of these men he has come to visit.  "Tell me that I lived a good life.  Tell me that  am a good man."  In this scene he is faced with a full understanding that if his life was an empty one, the men before him died in vain.  He needed proof that someone saw value in his life.  I remember seeing the movie for the first time and when that scene was over, I realized that I had that same question, was my life a life of value, a life of evidence?

Last weekend was an amazing weekend for me as a father.  So many memories happened, so many smiles spread, so many tears shed.  At the end of those two short days I was worn out (in a good way) by the blessings that God had showered over me.

As I negotiated the days after this past weekend, the ones fill with the day-to-day trivialities that often make us feel like a faceless cog amongst the machine of life, I found myself coming back to the promise of Christ in Matthew chapter 7; "So then, you will know them by their fruits."  I know I might be taking this verse slightly out of context, many will say that Jesus was teaching his disciples how they will be able to identify true teachers from those that are false, those with the gospel of grace and those with a twisted version of it.  I began to see it as a statement made in connection to Proverbs 22; "Train up a child in the way they should go..." that it was a measure of a father as well.  As the week went on, the words that I prayed in church on Sunday morning, thanking God for the blessing of those teenagers in the youth choir who lead us in such a pure and transparent worship time, kept returning to me.  It was almost as if God was reminding me that I had some part in it.

What a full weekend.  Jac had an amazing performance at a local gym meet, and seeing him interact with his teammates and fellow competitors was more uplifting than seeing him earn medals from his performance.  Alex blew away the judges at her solo and ensemble performances though her music and her presence.  Chris expertly supported his future bride during a very busy visit from her mom and grandma as they pushed through plans for their May wedding.  Domi made me cry as her voice led a room of hundreds in worship during a county wide youth choir event.  Not only was I touched by my own children, but kids with whom I have worked were present in the memories made.  The girls from our Life group danced during both the worship time at church and at the concert.  Teens that were in my bike group over the past 2 years were involved in the glorifying of God, their faces showing an amazing desire to serve our Lord.

Those moments last weekend have left me with assurance that there is evidence in this life of my value.  My children and the children that I listened to and saw last weekend were God's proof that I had produced fruit.  I hear myself think these thoughts and I feel as though I am being egocentric, but I know his thing called life is not about me, it's about Him and them.  Sometimes, though, a man needs the reassurance that comes from being able to look back at his work and know that his efforts were fruitful.  This past weekend was one of those moments for me.  Now it's time to shut up and go make more of those moments.

Give and Take

We (Terri, the 2 younger guys, Mom & Dad, and I) just spent the past 4 days North of Atlanta in the Middle of the Chattahoochee National Forest.  The cabin we stayed at for the second time is a little home about 1/2 way down hwy. 60 between Blue ridge and Suches.  This picture is one of the creek that is not more than 25 feet from the front porch.  It's sounds will sing you to sleep and its water are crystal clear so that you can see the fool's gold littering the streambed.

This trip for me was a lesson on what I am and what I am not.  I learned that I am very comfortable in the mountains, living a little more simply and apart from large numbers of people.  I also learned that I am NOT meant to live in Atlanta.  There is something about that town that, for me at least, oozes stress and anxiety.  We had to go through the ATL on the way in and during that part of the trip I found out my car has a cooling issue.  We were there for a gym meet that my son was competing in on Saturday, and so were 50,000 cheerleaders, their coaches, parents, and there make-up support staff.  We found out that they were there when we tried to go the last 2 miles of the drive to the meet on Saturday.  That 2 miles took an hour, not exaggerating, an hour.  Terri and Jac actually walked the last mile and a half while we fought through the traffic.  They made it there about 20 minutes before mom and I did.  It took a lot of effort to bring me back down off the emotional ledge that evening.  The drive back through the mountains did it, that and the laughter that we shared in the car on the drive back (thanks Mr. Bag).  

The next morning it was in the teens and the sky was crystal clear.  Coffee is just better in the woods.  The dogs were absolutely having a ball.  All day Friday Alexandra and Jac were in the woods out back exploring.  Rocks look better in the woods.  There were pockets of ice all along the stream.  The kids found walking sticks and poked at all sorts of stuff.  Sticks are better in the woods.  

On the way home today we drove out through the forest heading SE.  If the road was a twisting snake coming into the cabin from the NW, then the road to Suches and Dahlonegah was like a tangle of snakes.  We took time to stop and smell the views on the way out, I kept thinking I wish I was on my bike.... except it was 25 degrees.  

The best part of the trip was seeing my son compete.  He had a really rough competition, but through it all he kept on giving what he had to give.  In the end he came away with a 6th place in one event, but he pushed through and in the end he had a positive outlook toward the future.  

Attitudes are better in the woods.