Jesus said in John 5:17 “My Father is always at his work to this very day…”
Our Father is at His work, Jesus saw it and was in agreement with that work.
I love it when I get to experience seeing my Father at work and then coming alongside of Him, to work with Him on what He’s doing.
Caleb, our 8 yr old loves it too!
When we were in Haiti, I discovered that I enjoy using wood and building with it. Every time I was outside working on a project, there was little Caleb right beside me. He saw me at work…and joined me. He had his hammer, with nails, hitting them into wood. He did his very best to build something and that often ended up looking like a piece of wood with a bunch of nails sticking out of it, hammered halfway in. It often didn’t look pretty but was so fun to do together. Recently, Caleb and I have been working on a small wood project together, and he loves doing it with me.
Don’t you just love joining God in what He’s doing?
This past week I was able to witness how God was at work within my family and I wanted to share this story with you.
About 2 weeks ago, I was really tired and asleep on my bed during the daytime when I woke up to Caleb sitting next to me. He had grabbed a stack of cards that are on my nightstand and began reading them one by one, meticulously and thoroughly. He read one, set it down, then read another and set that one down until he went through the entire pack. These cards are what we call declaration cards. They are filled with biblical truths that I declare over my life and over my family. The Bible says that “death and life are in the power of the tongue and those who love it will eat it’s fruit.” I’m grateful that the church we are a part of and the ministry we serve in takes this verse seriously and encourages speaking truth from our mouths. So that’s what we do, we’re not always perfect at it, but we are strengthened and encouraged when we walk in this practice faithfully.
A few days later, Caleb comes up to me and hands me 3 pennies. I looked at him and asked him what this was for and he told me that he wanted to help with paying our rent. I looked at the 3 pennies in his hand and asked him if he was sure and he said yes (his mind was made up!). I was so moved by his heart that I gave him a big hug and thanked him. He went his way and I looked at those pennies and knew these were special. I couldn’t just throw the change on my nightstand like I normally do, they had to go in my wallet so Caleb would know that I cherished it. His heart to see a need and help had moved me to tears.
A couple days later I was teaching at the Rock School of Ministry. It was my last class in the gospel of Mark. Afterward, the class prayed for me and one of the students got a word for me and had seen an image when we were praying. She said that she saw a picture frame, but just the corners of one and the wood was highlighted. She shared that she saw the corners of the frame multiplying and moving outwards. She asked if that meant anything to me. I shared with her that I enjoy working with wood, that I’m no expert but it’s a hobby of mine. I shared that Caleb has also has a passion for wood working and ever since Haiti, has enjoyed being with me in those projects that I work on. Her eyes lit up and said, “I know what it means.” She said that Caleb will be the one inheriting my anointing and ministry from the Lord. And that the ministry that he will receive from me will be multiplied through him. So I was encouraged to continue investing in him, and with the knowledge of this, to build him up for it. This word was very encouraging and I could see, out of all my 4 children, how Caleb could definitely step into a pastoral and teaching role.
The final part of this story happened three days after that prophetic word. Sunday rolled around and we went to service like usual. With Malachi, Rachel and Isaiah, we give them the option every week to go into the Kids church or to be with us. Malachi and Rachel are so used to it, they’re mostly with us, Isaiah goes back and forth and Caleb has been in kids church every week. Caleb has been asking me lately to come in and be in the service with us and I’ve told him not yet. This Sunday I felt like it was the right time so I told him he could be in the service with us if he wanted to. He said yes.
At the end of the message our Pastor gave an opportunity to be born again; to pray to receive Christ and walk forward to the altar. After the pastor prayed, Caleb looked at me and said, “Daddy, I prayed, can I stand up and walk up front?” I asked him a question to qualify if he knew what it meant. “Do you know why people are going up front Caleb?” I asked. “Those are people who want to ask Jesus to forgive them and to give their entire life to Jesus, they are asking Jesus to lead their life.” “Do you want to do that?” He said “yes.” and I said, “go for it buddy!” He looked at me and asked if I could go with him. I said yes, but in the past I know he has struggled with being embarrassed and caring too much of what other people think. So I said, “yes buddy I’ll go with you, but why don’t you start walking up there by yourself first?” I wanted him to have victory over that struggle. So he got up straight away, and walked to the front all by himself. He didn’t hesitate. Shortly after I joined him up there. It was glorious to be a part of this moment, as his dad.
We went to the back room where they offer prayer for those people who have made that decision and the man asked Caleb, “why did you come forward today?” Caleb said he had forgotten and then thought for a moment…. “I felt the love of God,” he said, “and I want to be born again”…so simple, yet so profound.
I love the fact that Caleb can’t communicate the doctrine and theology of who God is, he doesn’t get all the complexities of life that we as adults get wrapped up in, and he doesn’t get that 3 pennies won’t really help much with rent at all, but he experienced God and he gets that he needs to be born again, and that’s enough.
I share this to invite you to celebrate with us for Caleb!
4 years ago in the Dominican Republic, God gave me a verse, Psalm 127:3-5 and told me that my children will be shot out like fiery arrows, that they will advance the kingdom of God and take territory for Him.
This is an answer to our prayers for him and part of the fulfillment of that word God gave me in the DR. Caleb still has issues of the heart, just like us all, and it’s a process, but we are so excited that he is beginning his journey with God.
I love that Caleb will get to experience what I experience with God. I love that he can Know God and worship Him. I love that he can experience pleasures forevermore and fullness of joy. I love that he has a God-given purpose, a calling on his life that is bigger than I know.
We are looking forward with eager expectation!