If You Prick Me…

Dear Lord; Happy Wednesday Father!

Today Father, my prayers are focused on my son Jonathan and my wife Shannon as they spend time at the A.I. Dupont Hospital for Children.  The appointment today wasn’t expected to be a big deal; simply an MRI with and without contrast to check and make sure that Jonathan’s LCH was still behaving itself.  As the scans were going to take a while and required Jonathan be perfectly still, the plan was to sedate him so that he could sleep through the process.  This seemed like a perfectly reasonable idea and after he’d been given some Versed to relax him a bit beforehand they got him ready for the procedure…

And then he saw the IV needle.  He was no longer relaxed.

Jonathan has a very serious fear of needles Father, and from what Shannon described he changed instantly from my gentle, loveable little boy into a raving, angry, terrified child.  In the end, they had to give him general anesthesia (gas) to get him under for the scans, requiring a longer stay at the hospital and leaving Shannon emotionally exhausted in the process.

Following the phone conversation with Shannon bringing me up to speed on the day’s events, I started thinking about the fear Jonathan must have been feeling at that moment.  His dread of needles has deep-seated roots, far beyond what he remembers.  As an infant, Jonathan’s disease and subsequent treatments required he be all too familiar with the prick of a needle.  And even though he’s not had to endure a large number of sticks since that time, there’s an underlying anxiety that grips him whenever he requires one.

So, how to address this fear with him Lord?  Well, if we examine Your Word there’s quite a bit of wisdom to draw on.  As I know Jonathan reads this Father, I’d like to use the rest of our time today to pass some of those thoughts along to him here if I may…

Dearest Jonathan,

“For I am the Lord your God
who takes hold of your right hand
and says to you, Do not fear;
I will help you.” – Isaiah 41:13 (NIV)

Whatever pain, fear or trials we face in this life, we need not be afraid because God never leaves our side.  He’s stayed close to you all of your life, and seen you through amazing hardships.  When fear grips your heart and threatens to take control, I want you to close your eyes and feel God’s Hand firmly grasping yours.

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” – Joshua 1:9 (NIV)

The Lord desires that we show our character and faith in him through acts of trust.  Courage isn’t the absence of fear Jonathan, it’s having fear and yet doing what you know is right with the knowledge that God will give you the strength to get you through when you lay those burdens at His feet.

“Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.

He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.

Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;

but those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.” – Isaiah 40:28-31 (NIV)

We weren’t created to rely completely on our own strength Jonathan.  We get tired, and stressed, and scared.  Thankfully, we have our Heavenly Father to hold us up and provide us that “Holy Nudge” to get us through when we call on Him.  I see so much of God’s Light in you, and when you seek His help I know that you’ll find it in abundance.

“I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” – Philippians 4:13 (NIV)

I love you kiddo.

Amen.

~Dad (Phather Phil)

Meditations Mon… Tuesday?

Dear Lord; Happy Tuesday Father!

What a wonderful weekends’ respite that was Father!  I’m not usually a big fan of three-day-weekends as I tend to try to fit too much in, and end up more tired than usual.  This past several days however, we were Blessed to be able to spend time with family and friends, get some things done around the house, and yet still have ample time to rest and recuperate.  All-in-all, it was a lovely long weekend and I thank You for such Blessings in our lives.

Well Father, as yesterday was a holiday and I didn’t post our conversation to phatherphil.org, I thought I’d fly in the face of convention and write a Meditations Monday article… On Tuesday.  I know Lord, I’m a rebel.  🙂

Today’s Scripture comes from the Book of Romans, Chapter 8.  In this passage, the Apostle Paul is discussing our suffering while here on Earth, and how we should be looking at it in the context of Your Plan:

“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.  For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed.  For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.” – Romans 8:18-21 (NIV)

This is a terribly important piece of Truth Father, and one that all of us overlook from time to time.  Our existence here is a season; temporary, and in the eternal scheme of things, brief.  And while the suffering, trials and tribulations we go through may seem overwhelming upon occasion, their magnitude and duration pales in comparison to the glory those who are one with Christ will receive when finally raised up in Your Kingdom.  Paul also emphasizes the passing nature of our Earthly problems in 2nd Corinthians where he states:

“For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.  So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” – 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 (NIV)

If we indeed view our trials here as “light and momentary”, and focus on the “eternal glory” that awaits those who persevere and preserve in the Love of Christ, then our burdens take on a completely different perspective… Through Your Eyes Lord.

Heavenly Father, as we begin this week’s endeavors I pray for Your guidance and assistance in assigning the proper level of importance to our burdens.  Please anchor our Spirits in Christ Jesus, and instill in our hearts a glimpse of the wonder and glory that is to come.  Amen.

~Phather Phil

Our Most Important Freedom

Dear Lord; Happy Friday Father!

Well Father, tonight begins the start of a 3-day holiday weekend in observance of Independence Day here in the United States.  Over these next few days, we celebrate the adoption of the Declaration of Independence which declared this country’s freedom from the control of the Kingdom of Great Britain.  Thinking about the freedoms we enjoy on the drive into work this morning, it dawned on me that while celebrating our liberties this weekend, we should also be giving thanks for our most important freedom of all…

The freedom from sin You gave us through Your Son, Jesus Christ.

Your Word clearly shows us that although we are all besieged with sinful natures, if we confess and repent of our sins, and turn to You through Christ, we can be freed from the bondage that sin tries to hold us in.

“Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.  But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.” – 1 John 3:4-6 (NIV)

“But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance.  You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.” – Romans 6:17-18 (NIV)

We have so many freedoms in this country that we should all be truly thankful for Father.  And as I contemplate and celebrate those things which set our nation apart, I’ll also be giving thanks and praise for the greatest gift of freedom ever given; the freedom Jesus paid for on the Cross.

Amen.

~Phather Phil

Thankful Thursday: Step-By-Step

Dear Lord; Happy Thankful Thursday Father!

Quite often Lord, when I sit down to write out my list of Blessings for the Thankful Thursday post, I have a difficult time putting them in writing.  It’s not that I don’t feel Blessed of course, just that for some reason my mind goes “fuzzy”.  When that happens, I replay the previous week’s events in my head, a day at a time, and when I reach something that makes me smile, I write it down.

What a wonderful exercise that’s turned out to be Father.

Forcing myself to go back, step-by-step, and taking special note of the Blessings You’ve graced me with over the past seven days makes me realize even more thoroughly how much You Love me.  We allow so many of Your Gifts to slip by unnoticed, that the thought of “catching” some of them and giving thanks while they’re still fresh very much appeals to me.

And to that end Father God, this week I want to give special thanks and praise for:

106. Sixteen years of marriage to my wonderful wife Shannon.

107. Wasabi-ginger marinated grilled boneless pork chops.

108. Two little boys that still insist on hugs and kisses before bed.

109. A beautiful 80 degrees, low humidity, sunny morning drive to work today.

110. Transformational Benevolence.

111. Jonathan’s excitement in choosing a new Bible for confirmation class.

112. Both boys doing extremely well this past school year (great report cards!).

113. Running into old friends.

114. Having a world-renowned Children’s Hospital with a fantastic oncology department nearby (A.I. DuPont Hospital for Children).

115. A wonderful afternoon walk in the woods with Jonathan and Aidan.

116. The upcoming three-day holiday weekend.

117. A lovely Anniversary dinner at the firepit on our back deck.

118. My big, heavy, “man’s” coffee mug from Mara Stoneware Mugs.

119. No obvious significant issues found at Jonathan’s yearly checkup with his oncologist today.  🙂

120. A Heavenly Father that listens patiently to my prayers.

I have so much to give thanks for Lord…

Heavenly Father, thank You for all the Blessings you gift us with each day.  Please open our eyes and our hearts to better recognize those moments around us that radiate Your Glory, and guide us to share those Blessings effectively with others.  Amen.

~Phather Phil

Sixteen Years of Love

Dear Lord; Happy Wednesday Father!

Today Lord, my heart is rejoicing in celebration.  Sixteen years ago today, in a little church in Newark, Delaware, You joined together Shannon and I in the bonds of Holy Matrimony.  Our marriage is by far one of Your greatest Blessings to me Father, and I can’t thank You enough for Your abundant Presence and support during our life together…

We felt Your Presence that day, when we said our vows to one another.

You comforted and strengthened us when my mother passed away less than a month later.

You led us to find our wonderful new home in Smyrna when building plans fell through at the last minute.

You faithfully held us in Your arms through a number of serious medical problems with Shannon.

After being told by a number of doctors that we couldn’t have children naturally, You proved them wrong… Twice.  🙂

When Jonathan was born with a life-threatening disease, You surrounded him in Your Healing and gave us the courage to fight for his life.

Although we’ve gone through periods of severe economic uncertainty, You’ve always provided what we needed and given us the fortitude to move past the situation.

You’ve connected us with so many wonderful friends over the years who have Blessed and enriched our family, and continue to do so.

You refresh and renew my love for Shannon each day, and bind us ever closer as we go through time together.

I view our marriage as a testament to Your Love and Compassion Father, and I lift my heart in thanks and praise for the Blessings You bestow on us each day.  I pray that You continue to Bless our union, and that we’re effective in reflecting Your Light to those around us as well.

Amen.

~Phather Phil