A Christmas Present To My Children:
How I Taught Them How To Use Their Faith This Christmas
One of the unique opportunities we have is to teach our children how to see God and how to watch Him move in our lives! I personally believe that the major reason we lose our children when they grow up in the world is because we take them to church! Yes, you read that right! We take them to church, but we never introduce them to God. As Christians, we manage to get them in Sunday school to say the “sinners’ prayer” and accept Jesus in their hearts…
But, as I have learned through thirty years of Christianity and working with people, most of the parents (adults) of these kids, never had a true experience or encounter with God themselves. Even as adult Christians who are saved, if they were to get totally honest and sincere, would confess God is at a distance, and they truly hope that He exists and that there is a heaven. Unfortunately, in their hearts, they can not even convince themselves that God is real. So many go to church each week, sing-songs and hear sermons, but when you get down to the very heart of it, so many do not really know if God truly exists or have ever heard His wonderful voice. So as for the parents, so goes the children to follow their pattern, that is if they even continue to believe!
As a former atheist that became a believer and a Christ-follower, when I met Jesus in the flesh and heard His voice audibly on June 10, 1985, I knew Jesus was real. I don’t hope He is real anymore, I know He is real. Since that time I have had a connection to Him and am able to hear His voice regularly. As a parent and a minister, I want to convey and share the experiences I have had with God for the past 30 years with my children. I want them to see Him as clearly as I do. I never want them to say this was my parent’s belief but it is not really mine. So I take every opportunity to let them experience and witness God in action. This Christmas was one of those times. God has never let me down before, so I knew He would help and come through as He always does. I will share this opportunity with you.
Dad Are We Not Having Christmas This Year?
This year has been an unusually tough year for DSI Ministry. I believe God is moving us to the next level soon, as things are now really changing. An example is that donations are way down and work has been extremely slow. You might think this is the time to bail out and do something different. I know the Lord, and this is a time that God Is taking my faith to the next level. When times get rough, it is not time to pack up and quit, instead, it is time to exercise my faith muscles. That way we will be able to move to the next mountain. (During the last few years I feel like I am lost in the Himalayan Mountains. This is due to all the high mountains we have had to cross). On with the story:
It was 10 days before Christmas. My daughter called me and asked about our Christmas Tree. She wanted to know why there were no lights or balls to decorate with. I confessed that the ministry and my personal bank account was at a -$56.00 dollars after an unexpected bill came due. Prior to this, even though it would bankrupt us to feed all the children every week I told Maria to keep feeding the children. Then, the Saturday after our ministry was down to -$56, and I suspended the feeding, God asked me if I trusted Him. I personally knew he had never let me down. But at the moment, with the stress of finances and my daughter’s cries due to the fact there was not going to be a Christmas or even decorations, I buckled. I responded: “you are pushing me to my limits and I am not sure at the moment!”
This is when faith came alive in me. I told the Lord I was going to trust and I was going to put His name on the line with the children! He was going to supply my needs or He was going to be a liar! Harsh words I know, but He has promised and I have been faithful every week and even break the bank to feed the children. So I told my girls we will have Christmas, there will be decorations and we also will feed all the families who come to our ministry dinner.
10 Days To Christmas
I put God’s Word and His credibility on the line with my children. God is either faithful or He is not, however, I know God is faithful. So I put everything on the line in front of the kids to see God work. I explained: “we have no money, no work and it is 10 days before Christmas.” I asked my daughters; “Do we still have that old Christmas tree under the bed?” They looked and said: Yes but there are no lights or decoration for it! I said; “Put it up” They protested and wondered why we would put up a tree with no lights, no decorations, and no money for presents or even Christmas dinner. I told them we will watch God put decorations on the tree, supply presents and we will have Christmas dinner. In addition, we would also give 25 Christmas dinners away to families who were in the same spot as we were. I put God to the test because I knew He has never failed me! God is always good to His Word. Even though my stress levels were through the roof and my emotions screamed you are a fool, I knew God would come through.
By that Tuesday, I finally received work. I was to house sit and to watch a friend’s dogs over the Christmas holiday. She even paid me in advance. With that money, we were able to pay the last of our utility bills. I told my wife that with what was left, to buy food and buy a few decorations and lights for the tree. The kids were excited. However, even though my family spent the entire night decorating the tree, my teenage daughter still asked about presents and all the rest I had promised. I told her to continue to watch, pray and trust God, He would come through! He always does! She believed me and we prayed over the phone.
3 days to Christmas
The tree was up and we had no money! Then it all changed! I think I shared our plight with only one family, who I share a lot with to relieve some of the stress. I did not tell my roommates, my board or even my vice-president and his family. I left this between God and me. Then the donations began! There was a little money that came in from our monthly partners with a few extra as Christmas donations. We now had the money for presents and enough for 25 Christmas dinners for people who came to our ministry for help.
I then told my children: You see, I told you to put the tree up and God will decorate it. If He decorates it, He will definitely put presents under it! If He blesses our family, He will definitely bless the other families who live in poverty around us. He will not only bless us but everyone around us. That Christmas eve and morning, 25 families came to Hands In Action and received their Christmas dinners for their families. My children woke up and saw a fully decorated tree with presents under it with a hot Christmas dinner. It all happened in those 10 days before Christmas. My children had a front row seat and watch God do some amazing things!
MY CHILDREN AND OUR MINISTRY WATCHED JESUS’S “HANDS IN ACTION!” HE IS ALWAYS FAITHFUL!
