Hello All,
As the kids get older, I have noticed that what I watch with them on T.V. has to be closely monitored. Especially when it's our oldest. It used to be that we could at least watch the news without her having a few uncomfortable questions or making a few illogical leaps. The questions are pretty standard, as she is always curious about the meaning of words, which of course delights me! The worst is when she asks me to define a word and then to define the word that I used to define the initial word! This can go on for quite a while.
The other problem is the illogical leap. A story is done on a tiger that has escaped from a zoo in the Netherlands and is threatening homes in the area. Renae will believe that a tiger attack in Ladera Ranch is inevitable and that we should all be careful!
I'm not quite sure what gets into her about such things. I remember when she was barely able to talk that she had a certain fear of lions. I had to create a pretty ridiculous story about what would happen in the case of a lion incursion onto our "territory" in Highland. At the time, she only knew about spanking, so I promised to spank the lions if they came to our house. That satisfied her back then.
Today however, there is a new fear. It's the fear of being kidnapped. Of course, it doesn't help that there was a reported kidnapping suspect in Ladera about a week back. The news made a big deal about it and there was heightened awareness all around us. We kept Renae from the news as long as we could, but one of the neighbors spoke about it a little loud and now Renae has picked up the story.
This afternoon, Renae informed me that it was my job to watch her while she was playing outside. And she is absolutely right. It's my job to stand there and look out for her and to provide an environment where she can play freely without fear of being taken. What she doesn't realize is that either Lela or I is standing at a close distance, ready to pounce on any would be abductors. Many times, it's not that we are absent. It's simply that she can no longer see us from her vantage point. This leads to her fear. It's not my presence that deals with that fear in her heart, it's her AWARENESS of my presence that does the trick!
I believe that this is the same with the Lord, who has promised His presence to each of us in Him. We need not fear. We need not fret. But we do, mostly when we feel that He has abandoned us and that our cause or concern is unknown to or unseen by Him. It's when I hear His voice affirming His presence and see His hand move in a providential way, that I am relieved.
This is the cure for our fear. When Abraham returned from his successful fight against the Kings of Sodom, he recognized his tenuous position. God appears to Abraham and tells him not to fear because He will be his shield!
Today, I wonder often if we have forgotten His presence with us. The market will perilously plummet. Checking and saving accounts will get low. Kids will make terrible decisions. Businesses will fade. God has not left us. God is not concerned with how bleak things are. He is in the business of showing Himself strong in the most difficult of times and the people of God will always look back and see that He never let them down. In fact, the story seems to be the same every time believers recount their stories: "God showed up just in time!"
I pray that you and I will be able to live this in front of the watching world. Things might be difficult right this minute. I pray that you will be able to hang on until the Lord reveals His mighty hand.
Blessings...To Our Friends,
Frank Sanchez
As the kids get older, I have noticed that what I watch with them on T.V. has to be closely monitored. Especially when it's our oldest. It used to be that we could at least watch the news without her having a few uncomfortable questions or making a few illogical leaps. The questions are pretty standard, as she is always curious about the meaning of words, which of course delights me! The worst is when she asks me to define a word and then to define the word that I used to define the initial word! This can go on for quite a while.
The other problem is the illogical leap. A story is done on a tiger that has escaped from a zoo in the Netherlands and is threatening homes in the area. Renae will believe that a tiger attack in Ladera Ranch is inevitable and that we should all be careful!
I'm not quite sure what gets into her about such things. I remember when she was barely able to talk that she had a certain fear of lions. I had to create a pretty ridiculous story about what would happen in the case of a lion incursion onto our "territory" in Highland. At the time, she only knew about spanking, so I promised to spank the lions if they came to our house. That satisfied her back then.
Today however, there is a new fear. It's the fear of being kidnapped. Of course, it doesn't help that there was a reported kidnapping suspect in Ladera about a week back. The news made a big deal about it and there was heightened awareness all around us. We kept Renae from the news as long as we could, but one of the neighbors spoke about it a little loud and now Renae has picked up the story.
This afternoon, Renae informed me that it was my job to watch her while she was playing outside. And she is absolutely right. It's my job to stand there and look out for her and to provide an environment where she can play freely without fear of being taken. What she doesn't realize is that either Lela or I is standing at a close distance, ready to pounce on any would be abductors. Many times, it's not that we are absent. It's simply that she can no longer see us from her vantage point. This leads to her fear. It's not my presence that deals with that fear in her heart, it's her AWARENESS of my presence that does the trick!
I believe that this is the same with the Lord, who has promised His presence to each of us in Him. We need not fear. We need not fret. But we do, mostly when we feel that He has abandoned us and that our cause or concern is unknown to or unseen by Him. It's when I hear His voice affirming His presence and see His hand move in a providential way, that I am relieved.
This is the cure for our fear. When Abraham returned from his successful fight against the Kings of Sodom, he recognized his tenuous position. God appears to Abraham and tells him not to fear because He will be his shield!
Today, I wonder often if we have forgotten His presence with us. The market will perilously plummet. Checking and saving accounts will get low. Kids will make terrible decisions. Businesses will fade. God has not left us. God is not concerned with how bleak things are. He is in the business of showing Himself strong in the most difficult of times and the people of God will always look back and see that He never let them down. In fact, the story seems to be the same every time believers recount their stories: "God showed up just in time!"
I pray that you and I will be able to live this in front of the watching world. Things might be difficult right this minute. I pray that you will be able to hang on until the Lord reveals His mighty hand.
Blessings...To Our Friends,
Frank Sanchez
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