Jared’s Labor
Late on a Sunday night, Jared (my 20 year old) was driving home from Youth. He saw a young man walking along the side of the road, and he felt a stirring in his soul, saying “Stop. Talk to him about Me. Tell him all about My Love.”
Jared shook his head, thinking that it was just his mind playing tricks on him. He drove on. The feeling persisted; he shook his head again and continued driving. As he approached a construction site, there was a flashing sign saying ‘Diversion. Turn around’. He finally got the message.
He sighed, and quickly turned the car around, “Okay, God. I’ll do it.”
He drove back to the young man and rolled down his window. Jared asked Jonathan (name changed to protect the now “innocent”) where he was going and if he needed anything. Jonathan replied that he was homeless, and asked Jared for a couple of dollars to get something to eat.
Jared smiled and invited Jonathan to get in the car. Time to go to McDonald’s and get a meal. The young man was astounded; nothing like this had ever been done for him. Over a greasy burger and fries, Jared offered the warmth and comfort of a living God. God offers more than just a Happy Meal toy, tossed away before the meal is digested. He wants a living, vibrant, real, and personal relationship with all of us. Jared explained that it had nothing to do with works, or getting your life right. It all had to do with love.
Jonathan gave his life to the Lord…
Jonathan explained that he had previously been involved with a religion, but wasn’t happy. He wanted to find a church that had a young adult group that was clean, no drugs involved. He wanted to get away from his group of friends who continued to bring him down the wrong path. Jared described Alpine Church, and Jonathan became excited at the prospect of being a part of it.
My Labor
It was late at night and I was sitting at home with my husband, working on some websites when I heard the front door open. Surprised, I got up as Jared walked in with Jonathan. Jared introduced him to us, and explained that he had just accepted the Lord and had nowhere to stay.
My first thought was, “I don’t know this kid and he is obviously high.” But the Lord is involved in this one, so we invited him to stay. Preston was willing to give up his bed, but Jonathan felt uncomfortable about it. He decided not to stay despite the insistent request to sleep over.
As we chatted, the thought came to my mind to pray with him. But I just ignored it. The thought came again more insistently. With Jonathan’s permission, I grabbed his hand and we prayed.
I wish I could tell you exactly what I prayed, but I truly can’t remember. It obviously wasn’t me, but it went along the lines of a personal relationship with God, works don’t cut it, relax and let God. Something like that. Jonathan gave us a big hug and Jared took him to a friend’s house.
When Jared returned, we talked about it. The funny thing is that as Jared explained his conversation with Jonathan, we realised that the prayer God asked me to pray was a repeat of their conversation. I had no idea at the time of that prayer what Jared had said to Jonathan, but God knew, and He confirmed it through prayer.
Isn’t God amazing? God was at work, and He invited Jared to join Him. Jared accepted the invitation, knowing full well that he was going to lose some sleep – he had to make an adjustment in his life to join God. The result was a fantastic experience with God, a very personal occurrence with Him!
Why am I telling you all of this?
Because this has all taken place as a result of work. Not works for salvation, but work to establish that personal and real relationship with God. Work to teach our children about that relationship. Living in that relationship on a daily basis, with full trust in Him and in what He is doing in our lives. We did this because our children were walking a dead end path. The result of this laboring under God’s direct guidance is that our children now walk after God. All five of them. 100% of the kids.
There is nothing more satisfying that seeing the fruit of your labors. We have poured a lot of hard work into our children. Radical parenting is not an effortless thing to do. Changing the environment of our home was not painless. Putting in the time to talk Life Giving Words into our children’s hearts requires a lot of effort. Taking time out of our busy schedules to invest into their lives is a big sacrifice, but the Lord says:
2 Chronicles 15:7 Amplified Bible Be strong, therefore, and let not your hands be weak and slack, for your work shall be rewarded.
So, we persevere through the toughest of times, and we trust the Lord when He directs us. Our hands were not weak and slack, and our work has been rewarded.
God is to be the center of our lives and the children know that.
Psalm 128:1-2 Amplified 1BLESSED (HAPPY, fortunate, to be envied) is everyone who fears, reveres, and worships the Lord, who walks in His ways and lives according to His commandments. 2For you shall eat [the fruit] of the labor of your hands; happy (blessed, fortunate, enviable) shall you be, and it shall be well with you.
We are eating that fruit now, joyfully and thankfully. Thankfully, because we wouldn’t be here if we were not the fruit of His Labor.
He did a miraculous work in me (see The Fighting Man: A New Identity, Do You Really Love Even Me??, and The Healing Touch), and He directed my path to develop a Radical Parenting style (see It’s Not The End), which brought a change in the lives of all five of my children. They all have a heart for God.
The Glory is His because He is at work and we have joined Him in His Labor.
Jeremiah 31:16-17 NIV 16 This is what the LORD says:
“Restrain your voice from weeping
and your eyes from tears,
for your work will be rewarded,”
declares the LORD.
“They will return from the land of the enemy.
17 So there is hope for your future,”
declares the LORD.
“Your children will return to their own land.”
My children and I have returned from the land of the enemy, and are now enjoying a God-centered life. God’s Work has been rewarded.
