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{Straight From the Heart}   *He's A Father to the Fatherless* 5/16/00
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HE'S A FATHER TO THE FATHERLESS

By:  David King

He was walking down the street with two things:  a small bag of
possessions and a large dejected face.  I don't know which of those 
caught my attention first.  The boy, who appeared to be around 10 
years old, was slight and grubby.  Not only was he aimlessly walking 
down a large street, but there were stains where normal 10 year old 
boys don't have stains.  It was immediately plain to me that there was 
no one in his life to scrub the stains.  I recalled quickly, that when 
I was his age, I would have been excited to not have a cleaning 
fanatic for a Mother to scrub stains.  I remember looking at him and 
thinking "how long can you leave a stain on a face before it becomes 
permanent?"

What was he looking forward to?  Where was he going?  His too large 
sneakers, whose sides were blown out, scrubbed the asphalt and 
occasionally made him stop.  He only turned his feet sideways, tap 
out the stray rock that had worked its way inside, and kept walking.  
His pants were a size too large, and it was evident they were castoffs.
Someone else's yard sale material had became his fare. His shirt 
was tediously tucked in all the way around, as if he had met someone, 
somewhere, that left enough impression on him that "one ought to keep 
things well tucked in."  From the look I received when I spoke with 
him, it was evident that he had mastered well the art of tucking 
things in.  "How many hurts there?  How many promises to himself to 
stay away from others?" I wondered. He was very well tucked in.

He picked up his pace after I spoke.  I had an incredible urge to 
chase him down, pick up his small frame and hold him.  I wonder if he 
ever had his neck nuzzled, until a giggle erupts, as I have done my 
two sons?  Do you think he knows what to do if daddy acts like he 
"gets his nose" with two fingers and a thumb?  When was the last time 
he had anything to eat, other than from picking it out of a can, or 
from a sympathetic restaurant clerk?  Has anyone ever let him cradle 
on their chest and read a book?  I couldn't imagine him smelling like 
shampoo and toothpaste and dressed in soft clean pajamas.  Too many 
stains, too well tucked in, no place to be, no one to answer to.  No Father.

There are all too many fatherless children in this world in that 
condition.  The appear all alone, but, if asked, they would recite a 
stock answer, and then back away into their cardboard boxes.  They 
look poor and sickly, and if asked, they would extend an outstretched 
palm and "untuck" a little and look into your eyes.  To us, they have 
too many stains and unmanageable hair.  When asked, they will defend 
their way, argue against the true value of soap and water, retreat 
again into their boxes, check that they are still tucked in, ignore 
their stains and wait for you to leave.  They have learned to be 
comfortable with their condition.

There is a Father to the fatherless, you know.  One Father who knows
where all the cardboard boxes are, He counts noses and understands 
stains on children.  He knows just how to "untuck" the feelings of 
little boys without mommas, and feeds those boys just as earnestly as 
he feeds the sparrow.  He gently rouses these little lads each morning,
shakes them with a tender breeze, or spreads the dew upon their nose 
enough to wake them from their slumber.  Puts direction in their 
stomach, and then feeds them.  He doesn't appear to be prejudiced of 
their color, their poverty, or their stains.  He does well with an 
outstretched palm.  There is a Father to the fatherless.  His name is Jesus.

I wonder sometimes how we appear to God as we wander down the roads of
our lives.  Some of us feel we are well garnished by our fine garments 
and our suede shoes.  We do our best to remove the stains and keep our 
hands in our pockets instead of having them outstretched.  We defend 
our conditions, recognize no poverty in our own economy, and certainly 
admit no rambling in our own feet.  We are very well tucked in, all 
the way around.  I sometimes have wished to meet the personality that 
taught us to stay tucked in.  I have yet to understand the 
intelligence of our hiding hearts behind walls.  Yet we all manage to 
stay well tucked in.

Many of us don't know how it feels to recline on a Father's chest as 
he tells his story.  We don't know how to get his attention when we 
need him.  Do you know how it feels to have the bullies chase you and 
then the mad dash into his lap? 

Have you learned to trust him enough to take care of your problems? 
Watch him point at the wind and say, "be muzzled" and then address the 
roaring waves to say: "be still".  And then just enjoy sitting in his 
lap for a while.  When is the last time you laughed with him?  Enjoyed 
a beautiful sunset or a graceful butterfly?  There is a Father to the 
fatherless.  You do know that, don't you?

He reaches for us, walking aimlessly down these asphalt corridors of
life.  Hard roads.  Roads that are full of small stones that work 
their way into our shoes and make us stop. Sadly, we have learned to 
misconstrue the true purpose of those small stones that work their 
way into our shoes.  Instead of searching, understanding, we stop 
only long enough to shake a little, squirm a bit, turn around and see 
if anyone notices, and then tuck back in again, keep walking.  Are you 
there?  Is this you?	If so, he greets you today.  He whispered this 
morning when you drew your first waking breath.  He serenaded you with 
sounds until you stumbled out of your cardboard box.  He murmured when 
you tapped the dew from your shoes before stepping into your car.  His 
eyes glistened as you drove to work.  You misunderstood and just put 
the visor down, fumbling for sunglasses.  His arms reached for you, he 
noticed your stains, but it did not matter.  He has no prejudice 
regarding color, location or possessions.  

"How many hurts there?"  Too many.  How long has it been since 
someone nuzzled you and made you smile? Much too long.  How long until 
stains become permanent on hearts, minds and souls?  There is no stain 
too tough for him to cleanse.  Won't you "untuck" today and let Him 
hold you for a minute?  Too many grownups living in cardboard boxes, 
well tucked, too many stains; when there is a Father.   He is the 
Father to the Fatherless, and we all need a Father.  

Some of you will just pick up the pace after you feel this, crawl back
into your cardboard box defending your condition.  Maybe others will 
find a place to kneel.  If this drives you outside in solitude for a 
few moments, you are blessed.  If reading this causes you to leave 
behind your bag of small possessions, the phone, fax machine, radio 
and the children, there is hope.  

Walk outside, take an earnest look upward, breathe in deeply and 
extend your palm to him with expectation.  Maybe you will hear his 
whispering in the breeze, or you might feel his embrace in the moving 
clouds and maybe you will be calmed by the aimless fluttering butterfly.
Aimless; yet belonging, comfortable, happy, content with floating in 
a large field in a large world, with a big Creator personal enough to 
touch.  Jesus is a Father to the fatherless.  Which means then, that 
we all have a Father.  We can now remove Fatherless from our vocabulary, 
tear down our cardboard boxes, untuck just a little, and run fervently 
to his lap and listen to his stories.


The Traveling Evangelist
David W. King
kingdavidw@juno.com

Send David an email and let him know what you thought of his story!

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A little bit about David:

I am a 35 year old preacher with a family of three children and a wife
named Karen.  I was called into the ministry when I was 17 years old and
after 15 years of training and schooling, I am now full-time on the road
as a traveling evangelist.  My family and I live in a 33 ft RV and travel
from state to state preaching, holding revivals, camp-meetings, youth
camps, etc.

I have a 13 year old son named Jonathan, a 9 year old girl named
Stephanie and a 6 year old son named Nathan.  My wife Karen and I met
while she was in Bible College in Jackson, Miss. and I was in the Air
Force stationed in Little Rock, AR.  We long-distance dated for about six
months and then married.  We have been best of friends and best of mates
for the past 15 years.

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Thought For The Day:

"Hindsight explains the injury that foresight would have prevented."

Verse for the Day:

"Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you...When you walk, your steps 
will not be hampered; when you run, you will not stumble."
Proverbs 4:6,12

Kid's Thought For The day:

"It's hard not to like someone who likes you."

Parent's Thought For The Day

"One of the most important things to remember about infant care is: 
never change diapers in midstream."
(Don Marquis)

Coach's Thought For The Day

"Games are just moments in time, wins and losses just a blip on the 
learning line.  Coaching is permanent, for what you give to those you 
teach will always be remembered.  Many will take the skill ideas, 
including the mental ones, and give it to others.  Skills for the 
game of volleyball as well as the game of life."
(John Kessel)

Deep Thought For The Day:

"He who lives in glass house dresses in basement."



  _
/_/\/\    MICHAEL T. POWERS
\_\  /    THUNDER27@aol.com   http://members.aol.com/Thunder27/index.html
/_/  \    "For I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but
\_\/\ \   Christ lives in me.  The life I live in the body I live for the Son
   \_\/   of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."  Galatians 2:20	



Video Imagery (Michael's Video Production Business)

"I thought of you first after my family sat down to watch the video 
we gave them. They loved it, to say the least!  Within thirty 
seconds my mom was crying and my dad did too.  They said it was 
the best Christmas gift we could have given them!!  You did such 
a beautiful job!  They were so suprised and so touched---they 
really, really, really loved it.  Thanks for helping to make it so 
special to us all.  My mom mentioned how the songs were perfect for 
the video too!  Thanks again!"
         
Kelli  (RKaGe@aol.com)    College Station, TX 

Let me make you a video from your pictures or home movies!
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 Video Imagery 
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