I believe one of the greatest gifts our Father in Heaven gave His children was the ability to remember with association. Yesterday, I posted a Don Williams' song, Some Broken Hearts Never Mend, because it reminded me of my years at Harding University but involved in that remembrance was a young lady who inhabited some of those recollections. This morning during worship, I thought of Honduras. We sang two beautiful hymns, We Shall Assemble and Someday, both of which I learned on my first mission trip. When I hear those songs, I'm transported back to the storage room under the cafeteria of the Baxter Institute in Tegucigalpa where our TORCH mission group held our daily devotionals. It was twenty years ago next month- it seems like twenty minutes.
Happy Father's Day, 2018! I'm not going to lie- I spent probably two hours today liking everyone's Father's Day posts, most of which contained old photographs. From what I saw, almost everyone put aside political and personal drama for the purpose of honoring the men who raised us and some who raised our parents. (I don't have kids myself but in my second year of teaching, I received a Father's Day card from a wonderful young lady named Donna Albritton. It remains a cherished memory!) We lost our dad ten years ago. I have numerous mementos around my apartment as reminders; the nameplate that sat on his desk for decades now rests on a table he built for the Nebraska State Fair when I was in kindergarten. It's not like having him here but it's a link to the man so many of us loved.
Two days ago, I was buying groceries and conversed with a lady who is an acquaintance. I can't recall what we spoke about but I remember her t-shirt. On the front was the name of her church but the back carried the words, "Daughters of Zelophehad." I didn't ask but it was familiar and I knew it was a Biblical reference. When I got home, I googled the words and I semi-remembered. There were five daughters of Zelophehad among the Israelites and their introduction comes in Numbers 27. The five young ladies boldly approached Moses in regards to property in the Promised Land. They made a valid argument that it was unfair that they would be denied real estate simply because their father had only female offspring and no sons, the usual heirs. (We had a girl in camp last week going into 8th grade who is one of SIX DAUGHTERS and she is oldest!) Moses took their case to the Lord who agreed with the daughters of Zelophehad- they were granted their inheritance. Here's the point. Why do we even know who Zelophehad was? We know him because of his children. His daughters acted wisely and correctly, bringing about a change in public policy. We know little else about him except he died in the wilderness and, in his daughters' testimony, was not part of Korah's rebellion. The quintet, named Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milkah and Tirzah, became their father's legacy. Isn't that what you and I are? Most who read this never knew my father but will gauge his life, and my mom's, by the way I live and my siblings live. So I'm writing the history of Roger Hawley every day. Maybe it's more accurate to say I'm adding chapters to his story with each step, word, and action in my life. And Lord willing, I'm making it an even more honorable book. If so, I'm giving honor to the Father of us all. Every day is His day.
Applicable quote of the day:
I pray to be a good servant to God, a father, a husband, a son, a friend, a brother, an uncle, a good neighbor, a good leader to those who look up to me, a good follower to those who are serving God and doing the right thing.
Mark Wahlberg
God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1
www.hawleybooks.com
E-mail me at steve@hawleybooks.com
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