Inheritance of Hope - Devotionals
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Inheritance of Hope Volunteer Perspective - July 2009 PDF print email

This month's devotional is written by 2009 Summer Family Retreat Volunteer Dana Hedges.

Recently, I had the privilege of being a volunteer at an Inheritance of Hope Retreat.  It was so full of fun and excitement that we did not have time to dwell on the situations that had led each family to be able to qualify for the all-expense-paid retreat.  None of us can walk through this journey of life alone and the Inheritance of Hope Retreat provides opportunities for volunteers and families to meet and encourage others in similar circumstances.   As a volunteer at the retreat I was able to literally walk beside these families, encourage them, and continue to pray for them after the weekend was over.

The story in the book of Daniel,  Chapter 3, in the Bible brings encouragement as I pray for these families.  Three young men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, had been taken to a new land.  They had made many adjustments in their lives, but remained true to their God while living in a country that did not worship the true God and did not understand Him.  These three young men, friends of Daniel, refused to bow down to the idol the king had created.  Their punishment was to be thrown into the blazing furnace.  The description of their protection from the fire is very vivid.

Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, “Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?”  They replied, “Certainly, O king.”  He said, “Look!  I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.”  Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out!  Come here!”  So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out of the fire, and the satraps, prefects, governors, and royal advisors crowded around them.  They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them.  (Daniel 3:24-27, NIV)

We cannot predict the circumstances each of us and our children will have to face in life.  We can only follow God one day at a time.  If any of us knew the future we likely would be so overwhelmed that we could not face it.  With God at our side we can go forward one day at a time.  We can depend on the truth of God’s word and His promise to always be with us.  He will not only bring us through the fire, but He will walk through the fire with us.  He will be by our side even through the fiery trials.  Even the king, who did not believe in God, was able to see a “son of the gods” walking beside the three men in the fire.

When a friend or family member is dealing with an illness it is a hard time for all who care about them.  We are all going through the fire together.  God is not only by the side of the one who is sick, but He is by the side of the friends and family walking with them.  We are never alone.  He is with us through the fire and He will be with us when we come through the fire.

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The Power of Legacy - June 2009 PDF print email
Recently, I was touched by a new friend from the state of Washington who shares my situation of working to raise her children while simultaneously fighting a terminal illness.  Her daughter Tristin, who is now 17, has lived for several years with her mother’s illness and the uncertainty of her mother’s survival.  I have asked their permission to share this video of Tristin because it was such a great encouragement to me.  I have long suspected that while my children endure sufferings that I desperately wish I could protect them from, they have also gained strengths that they would lack if it were not for my illness.  I believe my suspicions were confirmed by the great wisdom and humility that come from this precious young lady.  I pray you are touched as deeply by her words as I was.

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Legacy of Mercy and Grace - May 2009 PDF print email
As the idea of leaving a legacy for my children has become so important for me, I have worked to create various traditions in our home that I pray my children will remember with fondness.  One of my favorites is our tradition of “mercy” and “grace.”  I do not remember where this idea came from, but I am quite sure it was not my original creation.  I have always found it difficult to understand the difference between mercy and grace, and this clever approach has successfully demonstrated to my children a picture of God’s awesome grace.  As I have studied our God of the Old Testament, I have learned of great mercy.  However, as I have grown closer to Christ I have become overwhelmed by the New Testament’s covenant of grace.  I want my children to recognize the immensity of God’s grace … with that knowledge I cannot imagine they will ever be capable of anything less than devoted worship of our Heavenly Father, and what more could I hope for? 
      

As in most homes, if one of our children does something knowingly wrong, he or she most often faces an established consequence.  However, on occasion, my children will receive “mercy,” or not having to endure the consequence of a wrong doing.  For example, if a child complains of being “bored,” the established consequence is to immediately find a messy room and clean it completely before moving on to any other activity.  On occasion, however, mercy will be granted and the child is allowed to search out an enjoyable activity without first having to clean a room.  Furthermore, on an extremely rare occasion the children may receive “grace,” or a REWARD given after a wrongdoing.  Sounds crazy, huh?  For example, my children were warned repeatedly about leaving their bicycles in the driveway.  One morning we woke and I went out the front door to find three bicycles lying in the driveway, wet from the previous night’s rain.  My inclination was to blow up and remove their privilege of riding bikes for at least 15 years, but instead I returned to the house, asked the children to get their shoes on, and I took them out for donuts.  I explained over our sugary breakfast that this was grace … to be given a wonderful gift (what could be more wonderful to children than donuts?) when what they deserved was punishment.  Yes, this is crazy parental behavior, but God does this for us every day!  Romans 6:23 explains that “the wages for sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  We deserve death for all the wrongdoings we commit, but God instead gives life everlasting in a world more perfect than we could ever imagine.  What AMAZING GRACE!  Again, I must admit that I do not recall where I learned this clever teaching tool, but to whoever you are who thought of this idea, I thank you.  This simple tradition has made an impression on my children, and for that I thank God. 

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Legacy of Prayer - April 2009 PDF print email

Allow me one small indulgence as a mother.  I would like to share a story about one of my children.  Yes, like most moms, I love to tell stories about my children.  But I have also come to believe that we can learn a lot from their innocent queries and fresh wisdom.  When Luke was just six-years-old, he came down with a terrible cold.  This cold brought on Luke’s first real asthma attack, which I recognized immediately because both my older daughter and I have asthma.  As I snuggled with Luke in my bed, praying the asthma medication would quickly ease his heavy breathing, he turned to me and whimpered that it was hard to catch his breath.  In an effort to comfort him, I told him that I often had difficulty catching my breath, too, and it would soon feel better.  He looked at me with eyes of acceptance, no fear, and asked, “Do I have cancer, too, Mommy?”  Oh, how his question broke my heart!  Not because it frightened him; in fact, he seemed unconcerned.  He was voicing one of my greatest fears – that he or his sisters would someday have to struggle against the same cancer that continues to fight within my own body.  I have read that small children who live with an ill parent struggle most with two primary questions, (1) can I catch it, and (2) is it my fault?  I thought I had worked hard to ensure these questions were not a concern for my children, but it seems they might fester in the back of a child’s mind despite one’s best efforts to negate them.  Once again, our trust must be in God, that His almighty peace will envelope the child, answering all the questions we do not even realize need to be answered.

My doctors do not know enough about this cancer to know if it is hereditary, so it is something my children will have to guard against as they grow older.  When I think about my legacy and all of the things I want to leave my children, cancer is certainly not among them.  However, my prayers as I have traveled this journey have changed.  Just after my diagnosis, my prayers were adamant.  I asked God to protect my children from this cancer.  I never wanted them to experience anything similar to what I had endured.  However, during this time of trial, as God has showered me with blessings, comfort, peace, and indescribable joy, I realize that if I were able to protect them from the most difficult trials, I would also be keeping from them those indescribable blessings.  This illness has made my life richer, and I want my children to experience that richness.  Do not misunderstand, I am not asking God to give them cancer.  However, I am trusting that if He allows a difficult trial in their life, it will be accompanied by divine peace, comfort, and joy.

I have grown to believe with certainty that the greatest legacy I will leave for my children is not protection from hardship, but is instead the gift of prayer.  This gift must start NOW; it absolutely cannot wait until they have grown.  I decided several years ago that I wanted some sort of tangible way to remind my children of those endless and continued prayers I have prayed for them.  At that time I bought three small stones, each engraved with the name of one of my children.  Most nights as I lay in bed, I hold each rock in turn, praying for that child.  I do not contend that there is anything magical or special about the rock itself, of course; yet, it is a simple reminder to them of the time I spend praying for them.  I pray for their daily needs, such as the recovery from a cold, a better understanding of a difficult math concept, or an added measure of patience with a little sibling.  I pray for their future, including the friends, teachers, and mentors that God will bring into their lives who will have such a great impact on their development and character.  I pray for their future husband or wife, that that person is being loved and cared for and will do the same for my child and my grandchildren.  And, most importantly, I pray for their salvation in Christ and their ultimate delivery to heaven, where we will again be joined in God’s awesome glory.  I pray this prayer most fervently!

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Intentional Legacy (Part II) - March 2009 PDF print email

To all of you who have young children, I must share with you what God has shared with me. We are everything to our small child, and consequently, this is our greatest chance to establish a legacy - traditions and family values that will stick. My children are now ten, eight and six years old. Though my youngest, Rebecca, certainly recognizes that I am far from perfect, and is quick to point this out, I believe that in her lifetime, my husband and I are as close to perfect as she will ever see. Now that you are thinking that I may be the most egotistical person on the planet (please don’t stop reading just yet!), let me explain.

A young child will look to her mommy and daddy for shelter, nourishment, love, security, moral and spiritual guidance, and more. A young child is completely incapable of living independently and God has therefore created that child to look confidently to the parents for these needs. (Have you ever wondered, like I, how their little person demands can be made with such confidence?) For this confidence, and therefore security, to remain, God has also created these small children to have complete faith in the parent’s ability to provide for these needs. Hence, to our children we are virtually perfect. Unfortunately, as they grow they will learn how flawed and sinful we really are. I pray my children will be blessed enough to find a spouse as amazing as Deric has been for me, but even within this overwhelmingly beautiful and most loving relationship, partners are aware of the imperfect nature of their mate. The innocence of that little child allows the child to see her parents as God hopes we will see Him. As perfect, completely capable of meeting all our needs, and with an unconditional love that will always guarantee God’s willingness to meet those needs.

Think back to your earliest memories. In mine, I remember my parents and a handful of other adults with whom I was very close. I remember that these adults were rarely capable in my eyes of doing wrong. Part of this was because my understanding of the specifics of right and wrong remained unclear. Consequently, if an unclear action was condoned by a respected adult, it was deemed right, and conversely, if an unclear action was condemned by a respected adult it was deemed wrong. Picture a school playground. Two young girls are kicking a bouncy red kickball back and forth. A third girl runs into the center and kicks the ball away, chasing it playfully while calling back to the two other girls to follow her. The two startled girls who had been the original kickers look towards their first grade teacher, who is looking on with no reaction other than a slight smile. All three girls now accept this as acceptable behavior. A few minutes later, a third grade girl runs over to the three girls kicking around the kickball, snatches it up, and rushes back to her established game of four square (whose ball had just been lost over the school fence). The teacher walks over and explains to the third grade girl that it was unkind to steal the kickball from the younger girls. All four girls (and others watching as well) now accept this as unacceptable behavior. It does not mean that the third grade girls will not try to steal the ball again when the teacher is not looking, but these children are sinful creatures just like the rest of us, right? Nevertheless, they do now accept the behavior as inappropriate. My point? Please never underestimate your impact on the moral and spiritual legacy of not only your children, but also other children who have been entrusted into your care. I believe it is not only our action, but our inaction that can make a lasting impression on the moral compass of a child.

While our preschoolers are at home, not only are they extremely impressionable, but they are also a captive audience! I have learned, I pray not too late, that without the distractions of school, friends, and various extracurricular activities, they are excited to spend time with me. As the mommy, I am the most popular gal in the group! They want to bake with me, play games with me, read with me, and do just about anything I want if we can do it together. What precious time to share all that I hold dear to my heart. They want nothing more than to be just like me. A lot of pressure? Absolutely. But I pray that God will give me the strength and discernment to be a good example and the faith to trust that He knew what He was doing when He entrusted me with a child whose desire was to be with me. Mt heartfelt prayer is that God will use all the little and big mistakes I make for good and for growth both for me and each of my children.

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