David also said to Solomon his son, \u201cBe strong and courageous,\u00a0and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the\u00a0Lord\u00a0God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake\u00a0you until all the work for the service of the temple of the\u00a0Lord\u00a0is finished.<\/strong><\/h2>\n <\/p>\n
Cormac McCarthy\u2019s The Road,<\/em>\u00a0a novel of a boy and his father\u2019s search for habitable earth in a cold and dying world, was one of the hardest books I\u2019ve ever read. The hope is dim and often the darkest version of existential. But in it, as they walk the road together, the father paves the way for his son\u2019s survival:<\/p>\n\u201cYou have to carry the fire.”<\/em>
\n \u201cI don’t know how to.”<\/em>
\n \u201cYes, you do.”<\/em>
\n Is the fire real?<\/em><\/p>\n\u201cThe fire? Yes, it is.\u201d<\/em>
\n \u201cWhere is it? I don’t know where it is.”<\/em>
\n \u201cYes you do. It’s inside you. It always was there. I can see it.\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\nHope burns brighter in the boy. The father knows this. He knows that sometimes, bravery means hoping that someone else’s dreams will succeed even as you face the quiet deaths of your own.<\/p>\n
David was a great warrior. He built his bravery early, fighting off wolves from sheep and Goliath from his people and then Saul from himself. But, when it came time to build a temple in dedication to his God, he was not the man for the job.<\/p>\n
Because David had shed bled, both guilty and innocent, he could not build a thing so sacred and vital as the temple. And he knew this and so he passed the job on to his son with great ceremony and faith that God would put it into action. But I am sure he sang a few dirges on his way. I am sure that was a hard dream to watch flicker out in his own life even as it caught flame in his son\u2019s.<\/p>\n
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Sometimes being brave is passing on the torch. Sometimes it is being hopeful for other people instead of \u00a0yourself. It might be the bravest thing I can think of to genuinely wish for someone else\u2019s success in the face of your own disappointments.<\/p>\n
We sing, \u201cthis little light of mine, I\u2019m gonna let it shine,\u201d<\/em> and talk about the faith we hold and wish that others could hold as well. Our job is to hold up the fire so that God’s grace illuminates the souls around us.<\/p>\nI tell my kids to be brave all the time\u2026when they get the flu shot, when they try cilantro for the first time, when they walk into a room of unfamiliar kids. But I also want them to be brave enough to wish for the good things for all the people that walk through their lives even when the road they walk is rough.<\/p>\n
And of course, when we cannot, when we lose heart, get bitter, get angry, get tired, that is what Jesus is for. He died so our flames could stay lit. He could have been a glorious superhero and razed mountains and emptied oceans and re-made the world without us. But He died and so our light continues. With that view, it seems only right that we carry on.<\/p>\n
Sunday Thoughts Link Up!<\/strong><\/h1>\nIt’s time for another Sunday Thoughts Link-Up! I know there are many out there with wisdom that could encourage all of us. As long as it’s faith-based, I’d love for you to join up and then read and comment on what others have shared. Please also leave a comment here. Think of this as a Sunday morning community group that comes to you. And grab the button if you like…<\/strong><\/h3>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mom-gene.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/Sunday-Thoughts-Button.jpeg?w=1170\" "\\"The")
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\u201cYou have to carry the fire.”<\/em> \u201cThe fire? Yes, it is.\u201d<\/em> Hope burns brighter in the boy. The father knows this. He knows that sometimes, bravery means hoping that someone else’s dreams will succeed even as you face the quiet deaths of your own.<\/p>\n David was a great warrior. He built his bravery early, fighting off wolves from sheep and Goliath from his people and then Saul from himself. But, when it came time to build a temple in dedication to his God, he was not the man for the job.<\/p>\n Because David had shed bled, both guilty and innocent, he could not build a thing so sacred and vital as the temple. And he knew this and so he passed the job on to his son with great ceremony and faith that God would put it into action. But I am sure he sang a few dirges on his way. I am sure that was a hard dream to watch flicker out in his own life even as it caught flame in his son\u2019s.<\/p>\n Sometimes being brave is passing on the torch. Sometimes it is being hopeful for other people instead of \u00a0yourself. It might be the bravest thing I can think of to genuinely wish for someone else\u2019s success in the face of your own disappointments.<\/p>\n We sing, \u201cthis little light of mine, I\u2019m gonna let it shine,\u201d<\/em> and talk about the faith we hold and wish that others could hold as well. Our job is to hold up the fire so that God’s grace illuminates the souls around us.<\/p>\n I tell my kids to be brave all the time\u2026when they get the flu shot, when they try cilantro for the first time, when they walk into a room of unfamiliar kids. But I also want them to be brave enough to wish for the good things for all the people that walk through their lives even when the road they walk is rough.<\/p>\n And of course, when we cannot, when we lose heart, get bitter, get angry, get tired, that is what Jesus is for. He died so our flames could stay lit. He could have been a glorious superhero and razed mountains and emptied oceans and re-made the world without us. But He died and so our light continues. With that view, it seems only right that we carry on.<\/p>\n
\n \u201cI don’t know how to.”<\/em>
\n \u201cYes, you do.”<\/em>
\n Is the fire real?<\/em><\/p>\n
\n \u201cWhere is it? I don’t know where it is.”<\/em>
\n \u201cYes you do. It’s inside you. It always was there. I can see it.\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p>\nSunday Thoughts Link Up!<\/strong><\/h1>\n
It’s time for another Sunday Thoughts Link-Up! I know there are many out there with wisdom that could encourage all of us. As long as it’s faith-based, I’d love for you to join up and then read and comment on what others have shared. Please also leave a comment here. Think of this as a Sunday morning community group that comes to you. And grab the button if you like…<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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