Saturday, February 4, 2017

Provide and Protect

This is part of a series I'm writing this year called 'The Other A-Z of Christianity'.
In most A-Z lists of Christianity you'll find that 'J' is for Jesus, 'F' is for faith, 'S' is for sin or salvation and 'A' for atonement.
What I want to do in this series is to go a little deeper and write about some topics that don't always get top billing but are still important.


My Dad (left), Grandad and Mum. (1975 approx.)



D. Dad

A few things have been on my mind lately.
  • My dad passed away recently.
  • I'm about to become a Grandad.
  • The President Trump chaos.
  • I have a loving, caring, never-gives-up father in Heaven.
The amazing thing is that all these things have a common thread. Two words. Provide and Protect.

Dads do it for their children.
God does it for His children.
And Donald Trump is attempting to do it for America.

The commonality is that we all want what's best for our children/nation.

How we go about it varies.
Some dads buy everything for their kids, even houses and cars, if they can afford them. Other dads think it'd best for their children to earn those things themselves, and in doing so learn the value of hard work and saving etc.. But the goal is the same. Provide and Protect.
God also deals with each of us differently, teaching us life skills in different ways according to the maturity of our relationship with him. But the goal is the same. Provide and Protect.
President Trump has taken a radically different approach to his predecessors. But, according to him, his goal is the same. Provide and Protect.

The problem with 'providing and protecting' is that when we allow our own agendas and fears to sway our thinking we can quickly become people who, instead of providing and protecting, end up dividing and rejecting.
It happens in families with over protective parents. Children rebel.
It happens in families where parents with good intentions provide everything their children want. Spoilt brats result.
I hope it doesn't happen in America. I hope that President Trumps provide and protect sentiments (that are echoed in the 'Make America great again' slogan) don't become a divide and reject policy.
Time will tell.

My mum and dad provided and protected me and my siblings to the best of their ability.
There were times when money was tight but they always provided.
There were times when our family seemed like it was falling apart but they always protected.

Love conquers all.

Thanks Dad.





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