By:Faron Dice
The group photo was taken at my grand- daughter's baby dedication a few weeks ago. My grown-up daughters are in there and their children (they are single moms), and there’s even an ex-husband and a current boyfriend who is not the father of my granddaughter, too. Did you catch all that? Me either. It certainly wasn’t my plan. I was going to have the perfect little Christian family. I grew up as a preacher’s kid. My parents listened to Focus on the Family on the radio, and I did, too. I went to a Christian high school and eventually Evangel College in Springfield MO. After that, I took my first full time Christian radio job. Oh, I was so sure that I had it all figured out. For the next 15+ years, I couldn’t wait to be on the radio every day to air shows like Focus on the Family and Point of View, and of course, my own radio show where I could be a *true* Christian radio DJ, sharing cool quotes and Bible verses, and best of all, I could act like I had it all together on the radio. I loved to discuss the evil going on in the culture, and things that needed to change. I even had a guy tell me once… “Everything is black and white for you, there is no grey.” (He wasn’t being complimentary.)
On the personal side, my wife and I thought we had it all
figured out, too. We were raising our
kids, believing “as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (I thought it was guaranteed to happen.) Then, life took a turn.
My 17 year old daughter started getting into all kind of
trouble, and eventually got pregnant in high school. My other daughter married a guy, but that
quickly ended in divorce. My perfect
little Christian family was broken. The
truth is…during the process, I was broken.
You see, I never did really have it all together. I spent way too much time acting like I had
it all together on the radio, and trying to control my teenagers into what I
wanted them to be, and not enough time on my knees just pulling close to Jesus.
I can honestly say that it is only now that, Bible verses
like this one really make sense to me…
2 Cor 12:9-10 (The
Message)And then God told me, My grace is enough;
it’s all you need.My strength comes into its own in your weakness. So, I quit focusing on
the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ’s
strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with
good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size—abuse, accidents,
opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get,
the stronger I become.
So, now I work at Smile FM, and I can assure you, the people
that work here don’t have it all together.
I doubt that most of the people that are in your church have it all
together either. If your family is messy, and you feel like you don’t fit in
with the church crowd…you’re wrong.
The Bible is fully of messy families and so is the
church. This recent photo of my version
of Modern Family might be the new normal.
And it’s OK. God is working in
us.
Romans 15:30 I urge you, brothers and sisters, by our
Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle
by praying to God for me.
5 comments:
Well said, and you are so right. I know I don't have it all together. There have been churches I attended that I felt like a misfit. I now attend a church where we admit...we all are misfits in some way or form. Thanks for your honesty. I appreciate hearing you on the radio. Keep up the good work!
Love the honesty and radio station and awesome d.j.s!!! Keep pressing on towards the goal!
I can relate in our own "less than perfect family" way. I think it was the era that we sought "to control my teenagers into what I wanted them to be, and not enough time on my knees just pulling close to Jesus." I, too, learned to pray A LOT all too late. I struggle with trusting that God is still working on the hearts of my children who have walked away from Him. Time to go pray....
Bless you for sharing your "Modern Family" story. Your family is beautiful, thank you for sharing them with us. It must have been really tough at the time, to feel the "perfection" you had always been striving for slipping away - but the beautiful thing is that you, your children, even me, we're all perfect just as we are - because through the Grace and Mercy of Jesus Christ, God sees us that way. Not because we "do all the right things." It just warms my heart to hear your testimony of how God worked in your life.
Wow, well said. You could have been describing my attitude as a young Christian. I was going to do this right and I was such a robot of a Mom. Lot's of regrets but God gives beauty for ashes. So thankful for forgivesness. My kids and family love me anyway. Lot's of wasted opportunitys to show grace and love but I'm gonna keep drawing closer to Him and becoming more like Him and that will make me the wife and mother and friend I should be.
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