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| | It was a beautiful, summer day in the backyard of the Schlueter home. Joseph (6) and John Paul (5) were wild at heart bear cubs. Ever-navigating their way in the wilderness of godly masculinity. Now engaged in an epic wrestling battle. I was doing what any good dad does: Encouraging them. Coaching them.
Camera rolling.
Meanwhile, unbeknownst to me, another quest was underway. Anne Marie (8) had been braving the death-defying heights of our backyard tree. Though it was more like an over-sized bush with branches, it didn't matter. Not exactly the daredevil of the family, overcoming such peril for Annie was huge. With each new step of triumph, she beckoned: "Look at me! Look how high!" Again and again.
Anyway, somewhere into the second half-hour of battle royale, John Paul seized a moment of tactical advantage and maneuvered Joseph onto his back. But something more important happened. With Joseph pinned under his knees, John Paul sat up and returned Anne Marie's delight: "That's awesome Annie! Look how high!" And returned to battle.
As the video would later show, I was deaf to Annie's delight. How I completely missed the great height of her little heart for the minuscule height of the tree. The soul of a child entrusted to me by the Father. Beckoning simply to be known. To be seen. To be acknowledged by her Daddy.
While we all laugh when we watch this scene, privately I can't help but feel a tinge of pain. One of those many soft-hearted moments only a parent can know: Reflecting back upon opportunities missed. Poor ways we handled things. With the children we so deeply love.
The Turn. And I'm challenged not to so readily dismiss such lamentations. In the Father's design of things, lamentations are not the end. They are the passage. To something new. Something great. They punctuate our own, personal chapter in the one story of the Father's love for us.
How's that? From ages past, the law was not given with the assumption that we could perfectly accomplish it alone. It's given to break us. To bring us to our knees. To awaken in us our radical need for God. In everything. All the time. Beyond disciplines to our deepest dispositions. The law is given that, in encountering our weak, human selves, we might turn to Him ("repent").
Because He made us for great intimacy with Himself. Because He wants to save us. Because He has such a way of transforming such incomplete and broken things into something really, really good. And eternal. If we let Him.
The Fulfillment. Like Anne Marie, no matter how old we are or will ever be, which of us in our depths do not have a childlike heart... just beckoning for a loving Father to recognize us. Acknowledge us. Understand us. Behold us.
Through all this the Father has so lovingly, carefully taken a little girl and formed a beautiful, passionate, godly young woman.
It can not be declared loud enough. Strong enough. Constantly enough. Please take in every word. Hear it proclaimed right now, from the deepest heart of your heavenly Father, into the deepest depths of your very soul:
Through every moment of your life, every tragedy, success, fear, doubt, wonder and worry... through every battle with every unseen force... your Father was holding you. Your Father beholds you.
Here is the meaning of the Advent call to "repent" in this Advent season. It is an invitation for us to boldly recognize the occasions for our lamentations, and "turn" them over to our Father, in whom we are transformed.
All this is wrapped up in ultimate Christmas Presence. The self-gift of a God who loves us so much He could not be separated from us. Whether you find yourself shrouded in darkness or bathed in light, here the Lord's invitation reverberating in your deepest soul:
"Behold Me Who beholds you."
Join us for our final Presence for Christmas (GO).
Wednesday, December 18, 6:30PM, St. Joan of Arc.
Greg Schlueter
CEO / President of Image Trinity | Mass Impact
Greg@MassImpact.us | ILoveMyFamily.us |
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| THANKS TO OUR MISSION PARTNERS...
The Kingdom of God is among you... Luke 17:21
STATUS: 88% Goal of $80,000
WE'RE REGULARLY IMPACTING THOUSANDS:
- PRESENCE for CHRISTMAS 12/4, 12/11, 12/18 St. Joan of Arc (GO) - Weekly LIVE IT Gathering Guide / Video (GO) - Weekly IGNITE RADIO LIVE (GO)
- PENTECOST 365 (GO) - "Igniting men in everyday faith" - VIDEO SERIES: "Most Out of Mass" with Fr. Mike Dandurand (GO) - 7 Week LIVE IT SEASONS (GO) (next begins November 1) - 7 Week FAMILY ROAD TRIP PODCAST (GO) - Live IT PARISH BUILDING (GO) - 7 THINGS I'D SAY TO MY 7TH GRADE SELF (GO) - IGNITE's - MISSION ONE RETREATS | CORE COMMUNITY
And extensive evangelization through every form of media.
THE VISION:
Our passion and purpose is to get families on the road of making their homes places of ever-deepening encounter with Jesus Christ.
If God's design for family is revived, we will see a dramatic decline in poverty, homelessness, extramarital sex, divorce, addiction, suicide, and many diseases. There is nothing more important.
HERE'S WHERE WE NEED YOUR HELP:
- Fr. Nathan Cromly is lined up for production of a 7-episode series promising to "ignite men in everyday faith." Cost: $7,000
- Presence For Christmas events in December.
All promotion and fulfillment. Cost: $1,000/each
- "Family Road Trip Podcast" 7-episode reality program featuring four families on the journey. Cost: $3,500
- "Mission One" Retreats for couples/families committed to evangelizing other couples/families. Cost: $2,000/each
- "7 Things I'd Say to My Seventh Grade Self" productions targeting 7th graders, parents and teachers. Cost: $500/each
- Live IT Family handouts giving families a simple format for talking and praying on a weekly basis. Cost: $3,500
- Pentecost 365 handouts helping men live everyday faith. Cost: $3,500
HIGH HOPES:- Living IT video series showing individual families on the journey, capturing real challenges and overcoming. $5,000/episode
- Pentecost 365 Conference for men. Cost: $50,000
- The Living Room. A warm and welcoming rental facility enabling ongoing formation and mission. Cost: $5,000/month
- Endowment to form and engage dedicated leadership/interns in the mission. $100,000
WE NEED YOU.
We don't have a development director. We'd rather not have to compromise our limited resources meant for mission on extensive fundraising efforts. We look forward to our "thank you" event in 2020.
STATUS: 88%
MINIMAL NEED: $80,000 | TOTAL PLEDGED/RECEIVED: $70,562
Singular Donations: $39,312 [click]
Pledges: $30,600 (by end of 2019) [email pledge here]
New Monthly Mission Partners: $3,600 (year basis) [click]
Please consider becoming a monthly mission partner.
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