Random thoughts

I know everyone is out of town, so this may not get read. But I'm feeling pensive, so I thought I'd just blog a bit. It seems to me that we live in a difficult time here in America. I feel like we're right on the verge of a national breakdown. Maybe it has always felt this way and I'm just getting grown up enough to notice it. As I read the teachings of Jesus and the prophets and I look around me I realize there are not many people who worship God. Many people are fairly moral. Some attend church services. Few people worship Jesus.

How many men do you know who are like Daniel? Occasionally I see people who are very outspoken and public with their faith. They do the right thing when it's unpopular and they pray no matter who's watching, like Daniel did. I also meet people who live moral lives with diligence, like Daniel did. It seems that not too many people are in both groups, though. I want to be overtly Jesus-loving, so everyone knows who I worship. I want to stand up in crowded auditoriums and say, "Sir, that's not true. We didn't come from apes." Daniel did that sort of thing. He was in a land where everyone worshipped a false god. They all told happy little lies to each other about how their idols were taking care of them. Daniel didn't just pray in his room and wait for things to get more favorable. He stood strong, and at times loud, in honor of his God. That is hard for me. I like for people to like me. So I preach to my kids at home about how evolution is wrong, but I don't take the opportunities to stand up for truth in the public forum when those opportunities are there. I know it seems like spitting in the wind now, but God can still close lions's mouths. I believe that we have turned a corner as a nation. It seems that from now on the government institutions will be run as if there is no God. We must be like Daniel now more than ever.

I also want to be faithful in all that I do. I want to be the most well-educated doctor in my clinic. I want to have the best kept medical records and be diligent in my tasks. That's hard, too. I find myself putting church and family concerns above studying medicine. It's easy to settle for good enough sometimes.

My prayer for my family is that we will grow in diligence and faithfulness, and that we will not be turned off by those we consider to be fanatics. My sense is that if we don't become fanatics ourselves we will find ourselves bowing our knees when we should be standing in defiance. May we do all that we do with humility of heart and passionate love for Jesus.

From your wretched, blood-washed brother and son who's more thankful that ever for God's grace,
Randy