On the
day I was born, said my father, said he
I've
an elegant legacy waitin' for ye
‘Tis a rhyme for your lips and a song for your
heart,
To
sing it whenever your world falls apart.
I can hear Petula Clark singing these lyrics from Finian's
Rainbow. (Josh Grobin chose another song from that musical for his newly
released "STAGES" album.)
As "heirs of God and
co-heirs with Christ" (Romans 8:17) children of the King do indeed have an elegant legacy! It grieves me that even among those who have
put their trust in Christ as Saviour and Lord, too many are not enjoying the
riches of their inheritance.
It was when her world fell apart that Irish Beth Maddock from Calgary, Alberta, found the love that would bring much needed healing, transforming her heart and life. Her world was shattered in childhood, when her mother abandoned the family in Vernon, B.C., leaving their father to raise Irish (age 4) and her one year-old brother. It's shocking to think of little ones left to fend for themselves for hours at a time. But at age 27, the love of the Father, whom Jesus called "Abba"—Daddy, reached a desperate broken soul. June 9th on 100 Huntley Street, Irish was a portrait of peace, secure in the unfailing love of her Heavenly Father.
She said, "God intervened. He came and parented me out of very hard places. To my surprise, what came out was new and shiny and redeemable. God was there in all our adventures, in all our loneliness and sadness."
The promise of Psalm
27:10 is a delight in every translation:
"Though
my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me." (NIV)
"Even if my father and mother abandon me, the Lord will hold me close." (NLT)
"For my father and my
mother have forsaken me, but the Lord
will take me in." (ESV)
"For my father and my
mother have forsaken me, but the Lord
will take me up." (NASB)
"Even if my father and
mother abandon me, the Lord cares for me." (HCSB)
"Though my
father and my mother abandoned me, the
Lord gathers me up." (ISV)
Irish is living an overflowing life from
what once was a dead and deeply damaged heart.
She and her husband Paul have a lovely daughter named Eden. What a celebration of Paradise restored.
Over many years of interviewing guests with personal faith stories, I've frequently observed a tragic transference by those whose earthly Dads disappointed, deserted, or dealt harshly with them; as a result they expected the same from the Heavenly Father. In some cases, a distorted theology plunges the believer into a crisis of faith, when multiplied trials cause them to question God's love and goodness.
The outcome however, no matter
how long the process, always proves 2 Timothy 2:13:
If we
are unfaithful, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny who He is.
In fact, the epiphany usually prompts a
book. The author is compelled to share the wondrous discovery of a love that
never let them go, and a deepened walk with the Father they trust and enjoy
more than they can ever imagined.
"THE WORLD'S BEST DAD" LOVES YOU TO DISTRACTION!
He sent His only Son to pay the penalty of
all our sin and rebellion, so that we could freely come into the Father's embrace, and all He has lovingly
planned for us.
I am speaking from my own experience! My world crumbled at age 16, when my Dad died
suddenly at 47 with a heart attack. It
was unexpected and devastating, leaving a 39 year-old widow and six children adrift—without
an anchor for our lives.
That's when my Heavenly Father took me up,
and guided me all the way to His loving arms.
He made me His child and heir of
all He is, when I received the gift of His Son Jesus. And I "know how dearly God loves (me), because He
has given (me) the Holy Spirit to fill (my) heart with His love." Romans
5:5 NLT
He put a song in my heart. And even now, I think I can hear Him singing…
"He will take delight in you with
gladness. With His love, He will calm
all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful
songs." Zephaniah 3:17 NLT
