3rd Response from "Anonymous"! You have to read this!!!!

Dear Fathers,

This is the third response from Anonymous which I was grateful to receive and it might be an encouragement to those of you who struggle with decisions regarding your daughters. This letter really sums up the reason why I started this forum in the first place. I appreciate the debate, where iron sharpens iron. My commentary will follow his letter!

Anonymous said...

A third response needs to be added as I have been finally convinced, after reading more about you and your family. It is evident that your daughters have done well in the faith and that God has blessed them immeasureably!

I hereby humbly concede wholeheartedly regarding your admonition to fathers in the upbringing of their daughters. I have reacted out of fear that is within my own heart and not out of wisdom and faith. Your enemy has now become your advocate! I am not only convinced but convicted and encouraged to return to true doctrine in regards to protecting my daughters and to the leave the results to the Lord, of which I have faith that, as good as God is, He desires to impart blessings upon my family as well. God is faithful to me, regardless of my finances, so I must remain faithful to trust Him! I must recognize that through my meager income, there is protection from the Lord. I have found freedom and I am now grateful to God for providing the opportunity to be reprimanded! Thank you for being patient and it is my hope that some other father like me can benefit from my folly and coming to wisdom.

Please pass on to us regarding the raising of sons in relation to learning a trade-skill/college. I have a couple of sons as well and would appreciate your view. Do you have sons and if so, what have they done regarding careers?

Dear Anonymous:

I sincerely appreciate your response and rejoice in your renewed trust in the Lord who is anxious to do a mighty work in you and your family.

For me, fear has always been a struggle to deal with. Fear, at its core, will almost always lead to poor decisions and usually results in "paralysis of analysis" and feelings of inadequacy. What I find interesting is that we fear the things we do not know. The interesting part is that if we knew certain things....we would be more fearful (for example...if we knew when we were going to die...we would be almost paralyzed with fear).

While I am not always good at dealing with it, I have learned over the years to channel fear into prayer. Prayer lays fear at the feet of our Lord and once fear is removed, we become open to the Lord's leading and direction. It is only when we walk with the Lord that are eyes and ears are open to the way in which He would have us be as husbands, fathers and believers. The following song says it all:

When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will, He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.

Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies,
But His smile quickly drives it away;
Not a doubt or a fear, not a sigh or a tear,
Can abide while we trust and obey.

Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share,
But our toil He doth richly repay;
Not a grief or a loss, not a frown or a cross,
But is blessed if we trust and obey.

But we never can prove the delights of His love
Until all on the altar we lay;
For the favor He shows, for the joy He bestows,
Are for them who will trust and obey.

Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at His feet.
Or we’ll walk by His side in the way.
What He says we will do, where He sends we will go;
Never fear, only trust and obey.

May God bless you abundantly as you seek and serve Him!

Steve Riddell

PS. Check back soon as I am working on an article that will address issues with sons. No, I only have daughters, but I have spent a good amount of time working with fathers of sons and teenagers in general.

sr