Sunday, June 19, 2011

Father's Day of a Different Kind

Psalm 103:13 "As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him"


Remember when you were younger how big your dad's hand was? I can remember with utter clarity that hand. It was firm when needed, it was gentle and guiding when necessary, but most importantly - it was there... always. Now, I realize there are many reading this who may not have a father or had a good experience with their father - I urge you to consider a man who simply loved you. 


This is my father - a loving man, a little rough around the edges, but hey he had to be as a father of eight. Above you will notice a picture of him with Jada the day before her surgery (Jan. 2nd 2011).  Memories like these abound. As I woke this morning in the hospital lying next to my daughter who is presently here because of a case of the shingles after having chemo I got to thinking... "this is not the father's day I desired." I began to reminisce about my father - how he LIVES his life and the example that has set not only for me, but SO MANY. 


Briefly, here are a few of the thoughts provoked by meditating on Scripture as it related to my father that I think will be useful for all of us today: - Each of these was first put forward by God as the best dad - 

  1. A good dad is humble - knowing that God provides wisdom for him and he passes that wisdom to his children (Prov. 4:3-4).
  2. A good dad is there - in our culture of a quick buck and overtime, nicer cars and a larger home. We forget the primary role of a good dad is to be present. Presence speaks many things over worried heart (Hebrews 13:5-6).
  3. A good dad sacrifices - A good dad demonstrates his love by sacrifice - in many ways (Romans 5:8). 
  4. A good dad disciplines his children - Here is a concept that has gotten muddled in our day. Its even been peddled off as abuse. However, when performed biblically, it provides security and identity for the recipient and is in fact one of THE MOST LOVING things a dad can do (Hebrews 12:4-11).
  5. A good dad sends - a good dad realizes that one of his primary, God-ordained roles is that of disciplemaking in his children and wife. Therefore, a good dad does not hoard his children solely for his enjoyment, he sends them into the world as proclaimers of Christ's gift of salvation (John 20:21).
With all these things said, I cannot help but consider a friend of mine, David Peters. He's celebrating Father's Day with the looming decision of what's best for his daughter. That's hard no matter how you slice it. David is a father of four with the weight of the world on his shoulders at the moment. His daughter Cora - whom we have become very close to - is a cancer patient whose recently experienced some setbacks in treatment. Now, David and his wife Karen have some HUGE decisions to make. 

I am proposing two things here: One, I am choosing to fast and pray for them tomorrow (that is the day when the decisions will need to be made) for wisdom, guidance and a fresh experience of God's never-leaving, never-giving up, always-and-forever love in the form of peace. Secondly, I urge you to CLICK HERE to visit Cora's caring bridge site and join me in fasting and praying for a family tomorrow. 


Friday, June 17, 2011

Eventful VS. Eventual

I will tell you from experience after four days spent in a hospital, an eight hour break is not what you had in mind. That being said, its not one of those negotiable matters in life upon which you may impose your will. So - here goes, again.

Thursday (June 16th) we had the absolute pleasure of leaving the hospital after having a four day stay for chemo. We were barely down the road when Jada started coughing and crying in the backseat. To spare you the details, what followed was my first experience of maintaining the speed limit, staying in my own lane and managing to keep vomit off the seats of my pristine 1998 Olds by way of a collector's popcorn tin (Chicago Bears of course). That was the drive home. Cancer and its treatment always has the capability to throw curveballs which rival any professional in the majors right now.

We arrived home and Jada was not herself. After coaxing her to eat a piece of sweet corn for lunch she practically put herself down for a nap. She awoke screaming. "Not cool," you think as a parent - you would be right. This, however, is not uncommon. Jada to wake crying. What was unusual about this particular episode was simply that of the level of her screaming and apparent pain. Not constant, but major in moments. I called her oncologist and he asked to see her right away. Long story made very short - Jada was immediately re-admitted with a bad case of the shingles. We caught them early - thank the Lord - but there is much pain involved for her. And, the looming threat of yet another unplanned stay at the children's hospital of Illinois.

Once admitted we quickly settled in and are doing as well as can be expected. When I asked Jada today what it feels like (you must know that it hurts mainly when it is touched) she replied by saying, "It feels like someone is standing there with a knife poking it into my side and cutting me." I thought, "wow, that's way too specific to be made up." So, I taker her word for it.

So what now? What are we to make of such things? God's goodness is not lost in such times. We have already had ample opportunity to honor the name of Jesus and speak the Gospel into the lives of those we are coming in contact with. We truly are loving the nursing staff and all their efforts.

You may say, "this is just too much for Jada (and her family)!" Don't. Don't for a minute think that Jess and I have gotten through to this point with some magic formula or cleverly devised scheme which gives just the right amount of poise when necessary. We are where we are PRECISELY because of Jesus. The Apostle Paul speaks of this in I Cor. 15 - God's grace does not nullify our toil and striving - it actually gives them great purpose. We are, by God's grace, redeeming the time. Today Jada and I read (listened) to half of the book of Acts to help her see that those who love Jesus STILL SUFFER and to remind me of the same.

The crux of the matter is this if you believe in Jesus Christ as LORD and Savior: do you focus on the eventful or the eventual? Read those words carefully, because when the Spirit gave them to me today as I read through Titus and Philippians (in particular ch. 3) I was immediately comforted. This IS OUR AGE to experience trial, suffering, famine, nakedness, peril, danger, sword, bankruptcy, strife and all manner of difficulty. That is precisely what makes our lives so eventful right now. Believe it or not - there WILL BE a time when this is most assuredly not the case. Eventually, we will see Jesus face to face - our bodies will be restored, and our joy and crown will be to glory in Him all the day long.

Does it stink right now? You bet. But, I don't have to plant that in Jada's fertile little mind now do I? I can speak life to her through the WORD of God.

Click the "Post a comment" button below and weigh in with your "Eventful VS. Eventual" thoughts.

Monday, June 13, 2011

No Victorious Rival

It catches you by surprise, the pursuit of a relentless Savior.

I fired up the car with a fair bit of excitement and began a conversation with Jada as we drove out of town. The words we share back and forth remind me of the maturing trajectory the Lord has designed for all of us since December 30th - (it really has been that long since d-day: that's diagnosis day).

Consider then, the phone call I placed that launched my heart into spontaneous praise: Jada and I are driving down the Knoxville Ave. in Peoria, IL going to meet with the orthopedic surgeon about her broken arm (see both pics illustrating God's goodness in the FULL HEALING of her arm as her cast was removed today). We were approaching Peoria Imaging - the site of the first ultrasound & MRI which revealed the football sized mass in her abdomen. That was on December 30th. The closer we came to the location I began to uncontrollably sob. I called my wife and told her I was passing the Imaging center and that I was crying - she shared my sentiments with that day of discovery.

That is not unusual - to have a location or landmark of some sort trigger an emotion that can overwhelm you (anyone who has experienced loss, or is in the midst of a deep trial will agree). What was unusual is that just this morning I was reading and writing (handwriting the book of Romans) Romans 8...specifically verses 38-39 and noticing that 38 begins with "For I am sure..." and verse 39 ends with "...of God in Christ Jesus." It became clear in that moment that God's love has NO VICTORIOUS RIVAL - for Jesus Pinned them ALL to the Cross with His perfect obedience!

What a source of Praise! A steadfast and loving creator who not only cares for His own but pursues them with a love that cannot be overtaken by anything in all creation. The sensation experienced is not unlike God's words to Job in 38:8-11. God has prescribed limits and said, "this far you shall come and no further."

What causes me to erupt in praise despite the fact that today was: one dr appointment to have a cast removed, bloodwork at the clinic, admission to the the pediatric critical care ward, and eventual chemo (to begin about 9pm tonight)? I could easily list a hundred things- but bursting to the fore is this view that God has set limits and he has brought us a LONG WAY since December 30th. All of this rests on the firm foundation that is the Gospel - the furthering of His Kingdom and the dispensation of His grace by the "word of our testimony." In short - it is founded on Hope. A hope that does not disappoint.

Follow this link: www.jadashope.com to read a little more about HOPE that does not disappoint. While you're there you'll notice the site was created because a great friend of mine, Dan Estes is running a half marathon to honor Jada.

Saturday, June 4, 2011

Actions in Truth = LOVE!

Its amazing the support that comes when the option for life flees.

In the early stages our Dr. had warned us, "your daughter will likely act much different with attention." She has and does. Hence our concern for how she would handle the ABSOLUTE BLESSING that Friday June 3rd was. Hundreds of people coming to show their support physically by going to City Park in Tremont, eating food, playing music, selling baked goods, playing on bouncers, having a hillbilly olympics (Only in Tremont by the way), and going to a swim party to cap it off.
So, we spent the week praying with and over Jada and Oliver in the hopes that they would be gracious and thankful for everything that was done for us. Michelle Monk was the quasi-mastermind behind the whole event. Which is to say she was more or less helped organize it. It was fueled by students. Can you believe it! High school students ... you know ... teens. They often get accused of being apathetic, lazy, (insert the adjective). That could not be FURTHER from the truth last week. We found that they were passionate, hard working, and deeply caring.

In an earlier post I spoke of at least three things which have sustained us in this journey: Christ, community, and confession. It is Tim Chester and Steve Timmis in their book Total Church who say, "we are called to a dual fidelity, Gospel and Community." Community, in the truest sense is fleshed out for us in Acts 2 where the author tells us that the community was "together and had all things in common and shared as any had need." Jessica and I believe firmly that the depth of love we have experienced is first God's design in nearness, secondly its a byproduct of faith in Jesus, and thirdly - its one of the characteristics of Tremont as a community. However, none of it happens without the first element that Chester and Timmis propose - Gospel.

It is the good news of Jesus: His life on earth carried out in perfection, His death on the cross as an act of perfect obedience, and His resurrection to deliver the Holy Spirit. Truly, when Christ said, "greater love has no man than this - that he lay down his life for his friends" He MEANT it at the deepest level. So it is with Jessica and I. Many have said, "we love you and are praying continually for you." I John 3:18 says, "Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and truth." We have experienced the Gospel worked out in Community not simply because Tremont is a great town to live in (though we don't deny it) BUT because there are MANY in Tremont who take seriously this notion that God - through the Gospel compels us to live in Community... and things like the Party in the Park are a natural outflow of Gospel intake.

Now, to the reader who reads this and thinks community at this level is of a bygone era: have you considered what life would look like if we lived like this always? Consider, for a moment, just Northfield Christian Fellowship - the church where I serve as youth pastor - is it not possible that the entire body be sold out to the transforming power of the Gospel? If they be sold out to that, what then becomes of their lives? Well, they are shared. Shared in the deepest sense - warts and all. Knowing that it is not how I appear to you - to be controlled in fear or people pleasing, but that in God my righteousness is found. How free would you be to love recklessly (not without discernment or wild abandon, but with actions and in truth), to share authentically, and to walk faithfully?

Our (The Rumbold Family) view of God's love has been irreparably influenced by the Gospel in action through community. Would you not desire the same? Why is Christianity not lived like this from day to day? post your thoughts below - is this blog helping you to understand Gospel and Community? My prayer is that it is a service to your understanding of Jesus Christ!