I recently received a phone call from Mission of Mercy, (www.MissionOfMercy.org) that one of our sponsored children had left school to go and work with his mother. This was not unexpected, as he is 18 years old. We have sponsored him for 10 years, and watched him grow and change as we watched our own son Matthew, who is just a year older.
What was unexpected was the pang of anxiety I felt when I was told I could write him one last letter, to say good-bye and give him any advice I wanted him to remember. How could I possibly know what I should say that would be profound and wise admonitions for this young man? And how could I fit it into short 200 words or so that would fit on the letter page provided?
In God’s providence, the call came just the day before I was to leave to drive with our son on an all day journey to deliver him back to college. I have spent the last few days working beside him, listening to his plans, offering advice, and marveling at the amazing man God is creating from my little boy. I will miss him (as I do my other children), but I will pray for him fervently and delight in watching what his life becomes as he lives it to glorify his LORD.
I pray for our sponsored children too, although perhaps not as much as I should. And I can continue to lift this young man from Ethiopia up in prayer, even though I will not have contact with him again. I still pray for the little girl from Columbia who we sponsored for many years until the violence there forced the mission agency to leave. I considered it a gift and calling from God when I received a Compassion (www.compassion.org) packet at a concert a few years back, that was for a little girl in Columbia. Her picture graces my refrigerator, and her life is in my prayers.
But there is still a letter to write. I sit with my Bible open and read through portions of Paul’s letters, especially the sections where he pronounces benedictions. I think of 1 Corinthians 10:31- “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” Or Matthew 5:16 “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” But I fear emphasizing what you do above the motivation for doing it. I need to emphasize God’s love and His grace and mercy, and provision of salvation for us, as well as our gratitude for this.
Colossians 3:17 expresses it well. “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” But there is more needed. I go back to verse 12- “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” Colossians 3:12-16
These are all things I want to convey, but where does the strength for live this way come from? And how do we know what compassion, kindness, humility, and such look like? Paul addresses this earlier in his letter. “And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.” Colossians 1:9-12. And as I read on in Colossians I see more I want to say.
I want to warn him to beware of those who would deceive him and remind him to use Spiritual discernment in all of his decisions, including who he will marry. I wish to help him remember that we have prayed for him and enjoyed watching his growth and progress. In short, I want to write him Paul’s letter to the Colossians.
And all of this forces me to remember that I must rely on God, both to carry out His will for my sponsored child and to give me the words that he needs to hear. I want to be God’s messenger, as I want to be for all I meet, in my writing and in person. I want to point to His glory.
I did finally settle on putting down Colossians 1:1-12 and 3:17 for him, as I have always included Scripture in my letters to him. Then I wrote:
It has been our joy and delight to pray for you and watch you grow these last 8 years. As you leave school, we pray that you will continue to walk in faith in Jesus as your LORD and Savior. Keep your thoughts on living a life that pleases God in thanksgiving for His gift of salvation and eternal life with Him. Read your Bible, pray and attend church regularly. Choose a Christian wife when you marry. Forgive others, as God has forgiven you. And remember that Christ lives in you, and His faith is strong enough to carry you through any situation you face.
I hope my son finds time to read this too.
Soli Deo Gloria,
Diane