How God Answered My Prayer Today

The Lord answered my prayer, but not in the manner I expected Him to.
Each week, I look at my large desk calendar (yes, I'm old school) and find a day to take off. It's part of my routine, in keeping with what I was taught by a mentor of mine: your family is your primary ministry. This week, Tuesday was the only possible day. Nothing major was planned. Perhaps a trip to the park. Whatever we will do, it all involves getting dressed. My lovely wife was standing at the bottom of the stairs that leads to our boys' room helping Levi figure out what to wear. It was at this moment our day changed.

Anyone who has ever had a toddler in their home knows toddlers trip all of the time. Selah is no different. Her knees are scraped from falling on the sidewalk. I frequently brush grass or mulch off of her face after face planting outside. It was at this moment Selah tripped, but this time her delicate head struck the sharp corner of the baseboard.

When I saw my wife pick up our baby, our eyes met briefly. I read her face. Then I heard our baby's cry. Something was wrong. She handed Selah to me so she can quickly get ready. I had to simultaneously hold her arms down, press a washcloth on the wound, and comfort her, all while blood dripped onto the floor, my arms, and my clothes.

Levi came down with shock written on his face...and still wasn't wearing shoes. I'd like to tell you that I kept my cool, but I didn't. I yelled, "shoes, Levi!" My panic made me less tender. Elijah quickly got his flip-flops and started the car, even holding doors open. Driving to the hospital, I could see my boys praying for Selah in the rear view mirror.

Seeing my wife comforting our baby in a hospital bed is a frightening image. Triage questions kept us from talking to one another. I saw my bride, the mother of my children, look at me. I love my wife. She is beautiful. She is a precious gift from God to me. After nearly 14 years of marriage, I can see her eyes and read her heart. She looked terrified. My wife is a strong woman who possesses a confidence in most situations of what to do. Her eyes said she was scared for our baby.

I left my wife and baby daughter, taking the boys for an Icee. I knew it was going to be a long, long day. I got to talk to the boys about hospitals and how God is still in control, and they recalled their times at the hospital. It was there, in that moment in Burger King, when I remembered my prayer from the night before.

The night before, I met with our church's deacons. I had the devotion, which I read Galatians 6:9:
"Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up."
Church leaders are not to give up but rather press on. Part of that pressing on requires rest. Rest causes us to remember our priorities. Rest, which seem counter-productive to our flesh, recalls to mind that our ministry is the Lord's doing, and we are to be dependent upon Him.

I remember my personal prayer later that night. My schedule keeps busying itself. Leading a growing church was taking my time. I prayed that the Lord would remind me of my primary ministry. The next day, He did.
 
Spending several hours in a tiny hospital room has its benefits. For one, my family and I were forced to look at each other. Looking at my lovely, pregnant bride uncomfortably and unselfishly lay in a child's sized hospital bed with our little girl put priorities in perspective for me. Seeing my baby girl endure 10 stitches and an IV, being kept in bed for several hours, had an effect on my mind.

I took the boys for a walk to the gift shop. We talked about everything to glass elevators to watering our garden. A while later, Levi and I went for a walk outside (if you know me well enough, I freeze at warm temperatures). He asked me about tornadoes and whether or not I was strong enough to lift various things he saw around the hospital. My boys look to me for a definition of being a man. More importantly, what it means to be a Godly man.

I'm not a perfect father. When I'm overwhelmed, I panic. I yelled at the boys today. When my day is busy, or stressful, I come home and I don't always give my family the attention I should. My wife doesn't always get my best attention or care. When I'm spent, I'm short with her. Today, I wasn't. Today I listened to my boys. My wife and I spent close moments together. We talked. Looking at Selah's wound and hearing her cry, all of a sudden my job seemed so secondary. Not unimportant, just not as important. 

My heavenly Father doesn't panic. Even when I am annoying, my God listens. He is always good. He is very kind to me, to my family. He is faithful. My Lord has called me to shepherd my family and my church. He has given me joy in both tasks. He has been faithful to not abandon me, even in my unfaithfulness. I have learned that He is a trustworthy and mighty refuge. He is a place of peace. I ran to my Lord, and He answered my prayer today. 

                                       Truly God has listened;
                                                He has attended to the voice of my prayer.

                                       Blessed be God,
                                                because He has not rejected my prayer
                                                or removed His steadfast love from me!

                                                                           (Psalm 66:19-20)

My Prayer with Selah Joy

God has blessed my wife and I with a little girl, Selah Joy Hancock. She was born March 10th, 2015. Our first daughter.









I pray that our God would be gracious to my wife and I as parents. May He bless us sinners with His Spirit through His Word. Bless us the unwise, O Lord, with Your wisdom. Bless us the stumblers, O Lord, with the Light unto our feet. Bless us the unloving, O Lord, with Your unfailing love.
Be kind to us, O Lord, and may Your Word be on our hearts to teach our children and lead them in Your everlasting way. May we show Christ to Selah, in our instruction to her and our lives before her. Bless our marriage to display the love of Christ to His church.
You and You alone, O Lord, are our righteousness. Apart from Christ, we have no righteousness, no wisdom, and we can do nothing. We rejoice in Your grace that we are found in Christ. Jesus is the propitiation of our sins, the treasure of our heart, the delight of our life.
In Your grace, O Lord, You display Your perfect patience in these sinners' lives. Display Your glory in the life of our family, in our parenting, in our worship of You. Your Name is great and we delight in the work of Your hands. You have knitted my daughter in my wife's womb. You have been kind to Your servants and blessed us with an arrow to sharpen with Your Word. May we be found faithful to the glory of Your great Name.

A little note to my flock

After a long couple of days at the State Convention of Baptists in Ohio Annual Meeting, I looked forward to today (Friday) to spend time visiting many of you (Allison Avenue Baptist Church) at your homes. I seemed to have contracted a cold, however, and instead of sharing it with everyone, I've come to be alone in my office.

I've printed out Sunday's sermon notes, read some, written emails, and ate a very spicy Hunan beef. Now, I'm listening to worship music on Pandora. I glanced over to my calendar when a piece of paper with a long list of names written on it catches my eyes. They are your names, my beloved flock.

With each name I read, the Lord recalls to my memory joyous fellowship I ponder in my heart. I cannot thank the Lord enough for each of you. The love and kindness you have shown my family and I have been a warm blessing. When I read your name, I pray for you.

So, I thought I would send you guys a note today. What a tremendous honor and privilege I have to be your shepherd and to gather with you to worship our Good Shepherd together. Let us together praise the Lord for His goodness toward us and His grace to save us.

Please pray for me to not only recover from this cold but also ahead of Sunday's sermons. I pray to be found faithful to the Lord and to preach not only in word but also in power. Please pray for my family. We need Him. Please pray for our church to be faithful to the Great Commission of our Lord. Please pray for the lost in our community to know Christ and for laborers to work in the field in and around Hamilton.

May the grace, peace, and joy of our Lord Jesus Christ bless you, my dear flock.

October 2014 Newsletter

“See with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand” (Galatians 6:11).

In the history of God’s creation, we live in an amazing time of technology. Never before have we been so instantly connected by things like cell phones and social media. Yet, it seems that the instant access and connection has made life seem more and more impersonal.

The Apostle Paul had people write as he spoke aloud letters, but at the end of his letter to the church in Galatia, he wrote with his own large handwriting, which is his way of making a personal mark to his letter. Paul had so many personal touches to his writing. In Philippians, Paul expresses his joy in remembering the Philippian church in prayer (1:3) and even longs for all of them with the affection of Christ Jesus (1:8). 

Being a church, or a group of transformed and transforming sinners by the grace of Jesus Christ, we are commanded to love one another (John 13:34).  Express your love and care for others in the church. For example, a simple text of encouragement, a letter of gratitude, or even meeting face to face to share concerns and cares for each other.

No matter how advanced technology gets or how busy our lives are, we as redeemed disciples of Jesus are called to be closer and more loving than any worldly relationships. We remain personable, for our God became flesh and dwelt among us. Let us strive for such loving relationships for joy in the church and for the glory of our gracious God and Savior Christ Jesus the Lord.