Tim Eimer: place your children beneath those wings today

Dear Friends,

As summer approaches, a persistent sadness is taking root in my soul.

Being a part time writer affords me much time to spend with my family in the summer, but my illness makes this coming time bitter sweet. After all, a father takes care of his family and does not leave them to go on a permanent, heavenly vacation. I struggle with the guilt and the coming loss.

It all comes down to Romans 12:3: "Be honest in your estimate of yourself, measuring your value by how much faith God has given you" (NLT). Almost daily, I confess the weakness of my faith to God, faith that He loves me deeply, faith that He loves my family even deeper, faith
that He will care for my sons.

It's funny where God leads us in the Scripture just at the times we need it. For some reason, I was inclined to read all the Messianic and prophetic portions of Isaiah yesterday. Again God exhorted me not to be afraid that some plan conceived behind closed doors will be the end of me (8:12). He reminded me not to be afraid of anything but the Lord Almighty (8:13). He keeps me in perfect peace because I trust in Him and my thoughts are fixed on Him (26:3), and I will always trust in Him because He is the Eternal Rock (26:4). And then God gave me His great
hope in chapter 44: 3-4. "And I will pour out my Spirit and my blessings on your children. They will thrive like watered grass, like willows on a riverbank."

This morning, I fled to Romans 8, as I often do for comfort, and at the very moment my oldest son, Conor, snuggled up with me and laid his head on my lap, I read Romans 8:28: "For those who love God, all things work toward the good." My own words from a chapel speech I gave at my school three weeks ago echoed in my thoughts. "For my sons, my death will be a bad thing, a horrible event, but God will turn it into good in their lives." Then I read verse 32 of chapter 8 and remembered that God did not spare His own son but gave Him up for me. I trust in a God who knows the pain of being separated from a child.

Many of you have shared your own fears and struggles with trusting God with your children. Early this morning, I took my boys fishing, and two huge vultures were perched on the roof of a barn, and sparrows flitted about them seemingly unaware of these hideous birds of prey. But the sparrows were safe in their nests beneath the roof of the barn just as our children are safe beneath the eternal wings of their heavenly Father.

I encourage you to place your children beneath those wings today as I will try to do. Daily I pray that the ruler of this world does not touch my sons, and I wrote to my boys in their journals that if I die, I will still pray for them daily from the midst of that great cloud of witnesses (Hebrews 12:1). That may even be the purpose of this cancer. The good from this evil may be that I can do more for them in heaven than I can here on earth.

Grace and peace to all of you,

Tim

PS: My chapel speech can be heard on the home page of my school's web web site at www.Phil-Mont.com