Christian Living
Larry Lilly's Letter Thursday March 20, 2008
My good friend, Richard Harland has walked this globe for 87 years. Just recently he became unable to continue as Congregational music leader at our church. He regularly brings a publication to me from a church he attended for many years in Lakeland, Florida. The paper is published by the Prime Timers and filled with the usual stuff of such papers. It lists those members who have as the Monacan Indians say, "walked on." It will list Mama Jane's favorite recipe for homemade meatloaf, and many funny stories. I often think they hire Garrison Keillor to write for the paper. The October 07 issue had a moving article by Tony Snow telling how he handled the news of his cancer diagnosis.
Along with this grand article I found one that touched me.
"After the Christening of baby brother in church, Jason sobbed all the way home in the back seat of the car. His father asked him three times what was wrong. Finally, the boy replied, 'That preacher said he wanted us brought up in a Christian home, and I wanted to stay with you guys.'"
Preachers, of which I am one, tend to so idealize the concept of a "Christian" home that many who live in one so vigorously attempt to reach the glamorized one we speak of that they end up beating their brains out and living lives of pure frustration while searching for the "rainbow" Christian home, only to find they cannot reach the end of the rainbow, but they have gotten close enough to see that there is no pot of gold there. Thus a morbid disappointment sets in and lasts until, hopefully some courageous clergymen or other enlightened soul explains the glitz or con, as you prefer, and they realize that from the first family on earth to the present, families that promote and practice the ideals laid out in the scripture, from Adam, to Moses to Abraham ad infinitum, had their share of heartache in dealing with the ideal Godly family verses the reality of their daily existence.
It is certain that the lad who wanted to live with his current family instead of a "Christian" one, would have had the same response if he lived in David's house. Or the tent of Moses.
Don't you think it is past time that those of us who promote the family should at least be honest rather than idealistic as we go about talking about something that has never existed, but is only a goal to be striven for. One man called me a while ago after one of my tirades on the family to remind me that young Timothy learned about God and the Scriptures through his grandmother and mother. Of course that was my point, scripturally, ideally, he would have learned this from his father. Thankfully he was taught, but not ideally. Acts 16:1 points out that the marriage of his father and mother was not kosher. Please, I live in the real world too, so I opt for presenting the picture of the ideal family, but also pointing out that no one has yet lived in one, though we should be striving for this wonder of wonders, while admitting to ourselves and our family members that we have not as yet arrived, rather than convincing those closest to us that we are outright card carrying hypocrites.
As to men being the boss, I must say that I do in fact run the Lilly operation, under the supervision of one known far and wide as the Great Blonde. She has a tender hand though.
Larry Lilly Copyright © 2008 Use with credit
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