I was poor growing up. I mean I was the poorest kid I knew. We had enough to eat and wear but our poverty showed up in other ways.
Television. We were the last kids I knew growing up to have a television. I remember going home after school and going to a neighbor’s house and watching TV on their porch. We would go home with screen mesh traces on our noses. What kind of neighbor makes the kids next door watch TV from the porch and not invite them in?
The Projects. When our poverty was at worse we lived in the housing projects. The bad thing was it was one of the nicer houses we lived in. It was also within sight of the high school I attended at the time. Super.
A Car. We didn’t have a car until I was well into high school.
What made all of this worse was that my mother taught at the local Catholic school. So I got to attend there for free where all the rich kids went to school. Kids that had everything we didn’t and more. You can imagine what kind of social superstar I was, no car, lived in a project and no money. Wow.
At time my poor history comes back. Last night, for example, I had one of those dream nights where I’m somewhere far from home and trying to get home and I don’t have a car. These dreams are usually filled with adventure and frustration. My youth coming back to haunt me.
Holidays like Christmas and Mother’s Day and Father’s Day are often emotional triggers. They tend to bring back the past, which for many of us isn’t all that great. During the night, the Lord woke me and reminded me that many of you may be suffering from bad memories brought about by Father’s Day. Maybe your history as a Father or as a child isn’t great.
Just remember history is a tool of Satan, not God. God has saved you from your past. Made a present of the present and promises a glorious future. Set aside any bad memories and use this Father’s Day to make great memories for yourself and those that you love. Just a little reminder from your Heavenly Father through one whose history wasn’t the best, but whose present is great and whose future is secured.
Love you and be blessed.
Nick
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