The Flog – The Fabry Log

For our final entry in the 40 Days of Prayer, I want you to read something from my friend, Robert Sutherland. I've appreciated his thoughts over the past few weeks. Here's his final entry.

Hi Chris,
Hope you are well, and the family.

Sorry about the latest discovery of mold. Don’t know what to say. Haven’t a clue what God is doing. Hate to drop a hit-and-run Bible bomb and say, “Don’t worry! God’s in control! And remember, God will use your pain to bless others. Gotta run! Buh-bye!”

One of my prayers for you is that God would kindly bring this season of pestilence in your family to a healthy end. And that all you have learned would benefit others.

* * * * * * * *

My daughter, Sarah, said something to me today that – as G. Campbell Morgan might say – arrested my thoughts.

She’s been praying for me to find a better job. Very kind of her.

Had a rough day at work today. Texted her about it, as compared to whined to her about it. Got an almost simultaneous reply: “Do you believe God will bring you a new job?”

As you know, the last thing any dad wants to do is discourage a beloved daughter – especially about spiritual truths.

Instead of simply saying “No,” I told her I believe God will work all things for my good, whether or not I lose my current job or God makes me the next Chris Fabry (without the mold, please).

I don’t recall the decade that I abandoned what I perceive to be the nonsense of “claiming” verses in order to persuade/intimidate God into doing my will, at the probable expense of receiving His perfect will.

I don’t recall the decade that I abandoned the certain nonsense of giving God suggestions as to how He could work things for my good – replete with step-by-step directions, helpful guidelines to follow and a timetable that would help Him keep me informed of His progress in accomplishing the tasks I set before Him, so I would not have to waste too much time blindly trusting Him.

I don’t recall the decade that my prayer life morphed into “Whatever, Lord.” No, not in the mega-Christian sense of absolute trust/faith/surrender. More along the lines of “I give up trying to figure out what to ask you to do.” Again, not with the most spiritual of attitudes. Not nihilistic hopelessness. Not angry frustration. Not a lack of faith that God really does answer my/our prayers.

More like, “Your ways are above my ways as the heavens are above the earth,” and I look forward to how you resolve the impossibilities I/we face in life.

(How DO people survive without God? It’s hard enough WITH His blessings?)

Sure, I ask for victory in battles with intransigent insurance companies, imperfect family members/coworkers/politicians and applying limited funds to my limitless needs/wants/desires.

Is it faith or foolishness to think I never have to pray again? That God loves me so much that He will accomplish good for me and through me to others whether or not I ever ask Him to?

At the risk of creating God in my image, my family – two wondrous daughters, two dedicated sons-in-law, two terrific grandsons and The Princess: my almost ten-year-old granddaughter – has taught me about the heart of God.

Primarily, no matter how much I love my family, He loves them more. My prayers for them? Mostly that God will express His love to them in convincing, gracious ways. No matter what.

Before my mom died a decade ago, few things made her as happy as a call from me or my girls. Our voices delighted her soul.

My dad will celebrate his 90th birthday on Christmas Eve. I call him at least three times a week. Does us both a world of good. We love to chat. About anything.

My daughter, Esther, vacillates between calling several times a day and calling every several days, but hearing her voice say, “Hi, Dad!” is the essence of joy.

The ringtone I use for the joyous calls from Sarah and The Princess is the voice of The Princess saying, “Grampa! Pick it up! It might be me!”

The Princess Ringtone

Perhaps only a parent or grandparent can fully understand how my heart leaps with joy when I hear my beloved grandchild’s voice at random times.

I don’t know how to put this, so bear with me.

I don’t care WHY my family calls me. The topics are far less important – even if the topics are VERY important – than the fact that they called me.

Contact with them revitalizes our relationship.

That’s where I am with prayer. I think/feel/believe God likes to hear the sound of my voice – even if the stuff I talk about with Him is comparatively insignificant compared to the “Lord, please save the life of my wife/husband/child/parent” prayers that ascend to the Lord every moment of every day from every corner of Earth.

Again, God is not a doting grandfather quick to overlook all our faults/sins/behavior. But He is delighted to hear us call upon Him in prayer. [See Proverbs 15:8]

Conversing with God is what I do … more than praying to/at God. Praying without ceasing is easier … as I habitually talk with God.

Back when such things mattered to me more, my “life verse” was that portion of I Samuel 7:12: “Thus far the Lord has helped us.”

I still believe that with all my heart.
You probably do too.

But it’s easy to forget.

Thank you, Chris, for all you and your team do to bless listeners country-wide and world-wide. You are a blessing. Thanks for letting me pitch in; very kind of you, brother.

God says to pray in secret. In spite of that, may I pray for you publicly, please?

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank you for all the witnesses in the Old Testament who knew you so well that they said you are “compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness.”

Thank you for how Jesus is the perfect example of compassion, grace, patience and sacrificial love.

Please forgive our sins and deliver us from evil.

Please be gracious to us. Please direct our paths and please glorify yourself through us.

Lord, we ask you to provide for Chris and his family. Please bring healing to Andrea and the kids.

Please glorify yourself as you deliver them from all that afflicts them. Please.

Please restore the years that mold and illness have taken from them.

Please give Chris favor … strength … and wisdom as he seeks to honor You through his writing and on the radio.

I pray that you will bless more people than he can imagine through his new book.

Lord, I thank you for Moody Broadcasting, Chris, his teammates, the stations that air his program … and all the people who use dollars dedicated to you … to make it all happen.

Lord, I pray that what we’ve begun during these 40 Days of Prayer would become a habit that endures from generation to generation in our families.

Thank you that Jesus ever lives to make intercession for us.

Thank you for being delighted by our hearts and voices when we pray to you.

We love you, Lord.

Please forgive our unbelief.
And bless us, Lord.
For your glory and honor.

In Jesus’ name.

Amen

* * * * * * * *

Amen, Robert. Now let me turn the prayer back to you.

Father, thank you for the good heart you've given Robert. You've given him a lot of pain and heartache and difficulty. You know the struggle he had in loving his mom in her final days. You've seen his tears and his sins. And you love him even more than I do.

In your sovereign plan for his life, I pray you would give him an amazing week at his current job and renew his love for the people there. Prepare him for the next step. And providentially send a new task his way, a new job, or a redirection in the current one.

And give him peace in the midst of all of this. And joy. Don't bless him because he's the best Robert there is or because he is always kind, because he isn't. But he is your child and you love him. Show him the depth of your love today.

And for my other friends who have followed along, take the hurts, cares, difficulties and problems in life and turn them into something beautiful. Selfishly we would pray for all of that to be lifted, but we know it's there calling us closer to you, making us long for our eternal home.

Thank you for being who you are, Lord. We praise you for the gift you've given us in Jesus.

In his name we pray,
Amen.