Think About it -- Be Thankful

  1. Share
Faith Based Security NetworkFaith Based Security Network
0 0

The older I get, the more thankful I am.

I am thankful for my wife, children, and grandchildren; for the lives we all have that continue working together. Every holiday, one of our children and their children are at one of our other children’s homes, or at our farm.

I am thankful for the protection family I have gained through the FBSN, our many affiliates, and from events across the nation. This great endeavor of protecting faith-based organizations has led to this professional membership association of those unique responsible defenders. In what other people group could I write about scriptural values and not have to explain the applicability to security?

But before my wife, children and professional family were my parents and brothers. I have no regrets. I could not have possibly had better parents. My two brothers remain at the top of the list of my best friends. I’ve had many great pastors and advisors through the years. When it comes to the toughest things, I call one of my brothers.

Even before my parents and brothers were grandparents on both sides. There was a deep and real spiritual foundation obvious in both of those homes. 

And before my grandparents were other ancestors I am thankful for. We cherish many family stories and documents passed down that that confirm God’s graciousness to our family as well as our dependance on Him.

 

Think About it

Before anything you or I may or may not know about the journey of faith in our own families, is that Christ died for us. 

Before that, God created us with good in mind. The word, “good” appears many times in the very first chapter of Genesis. At the very end of that chapter, he created man and entrusted all those good things to him. Yes, Adam and Eve broke that trust, but God has been active in redemption ever since. Of that I am a recipient. 

What more could any of us possibly ask for? To not be thankful would just be rebellious. 

Joy and thanksgiving are choices we make. I’ve had seasons where I just didn’t feel it. But I know now how that was rebellious intent at those times.

Life is better for me and those around me when I am thankful. It will be for you too. Your family will be more thankful for you too.

Comments

To view comments or leave a comment, login or sign up.

Related Content

4
Think About it -- Remembering Ron Allen
Death never comes at a good time. This last week, FBSN board member Ron Allen (Troy, Michigan) finished his race and went home. Ron was one of the best men I’ve ever known. I was reminded of something Ron wrote to our Board in 2023. It follows, as written by him. GOD'S CALL TO LEADERS. Morning Prayer Notes 8.24.2023. Ron Allen God will never call us to a work that we can fulfill in our own strength. It will always be bigger than we are. That forces us to rely on Him. When God puts people around us to help fulfill the vision that He has given, if we use them, God gets glory. If we don't use them, that means we don't trust God to fulfill His vision. (ownership of the vision then transfers to us and I don’t want to own God vision). Remember, Its God's vision, not ours. He may have given it to us to carry, shepherd and lead, but it's His vision. God will send resources / people to fulfill His vision. If we are uncomfortable using the resources He has sent, (“no, let me do that”) we limit what God can do with His own work. Our job as leaders, as people who are called by God to lead; Pray that God sends laborers and let them labor when they arrive. Love them and lead them in a godly manner. Teach them what God has taught you. Show them the vision so they can run with the portion God has given them. Trust that God will speak to them and give vision for their area of the work. Give them the latitude to hear from God and go with God, (while we are watching to encourage and correct) Discern when the enemy sends wolves to disrupt the work that God has called us to do. Clear out the wolves and get back to doing the work God has called us to do. If the wolves have inflicted wounds, believe God to heal the wounds and move on. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire without the smell of smoke (don’t let wounds linger)   Think About it We are called into a work that none of us can complete or even perform well on our own. Ron Allen provided the guide for handling that work.
3
Lessons From the Farm (No. 1)
Having moved back to farm country (from where I continue to manage the Faith Based Security Network), there is also the reality of needed work to be done on the farm. Fortunately, there is not (yet) any cropland; the daily duties are centered around making sure the small cow herd is healthy and accounted for. It is rare that I can’t think of the applicability of some farm action to the realm of effective security operations.  Such was the case this week when a neighbor called to see if I could help him out. Helping is just part of common rural hospitality. It’s called “neighboring.” When someone’s ox is in the ditch, you go help them. He owns no oxen, but he did have a few hundred acres of corn to get harvested in a narrow window of time. He needed to keep 3 semis continuously filled as drivers ran the harvested corn to the granaries. He had a 12-row combine working nonstop cutting the corn. The missing link was a man on a tractor to catch the freshly harvested corn out of the combine into a 750 bushel mobile grain cart, then transport that corn to the waiting semis. The inset picture shows the operation and equipment well. He set aside an hour to have one of his workers train me on the tractor and the mobile grain cart. After that I was all alone in a John Deere 8400, 4-wheel drive row-crop tractor.  This wasn’t like driving Dad’s old 2-cylinder John Deeres 50 years ago. This $300,000 monster had a computerized cab more like a cockpit. At 30,000 pounds and 225 horsepower, it was bigger, more powerful and more expensive than any machine I’d ever operated. One hour of training.   Think About it The great late Jeff Cooper said, “Owning a handgun doesn't make you armed any more than owning a guitar makes you a musician” (another version quoted him as, “Owning a pistol doesn't make you a pistoleer any more than owning a piano makes you a pianist”). A few hours operating powerful machinery doesn’t make one a farmer either. Is your training commensurate with the tools and the needed actions? How much is a life worth? If you think an hour might be a little light for training on a monster tractor, how much is too light for your tools of protecting life?