That's My Boy

He was hired to lead the worship band, but his brief testimony touched my heart almost as much as any of the other four keynote speakers. Dave paused between a couple songs near the end of the Men’s Conference, in front of 1200 men, and told his story.

He met the girl of his dreams when he was eighteen. She was a cheerleader for the hockey team. Yes, hockey. I guess in North Dakota hockey teams have cheerleaders. His dream was to become a big-time musician in a big-time rock band. She made plans to go overseas for a short-term service. Before she could leave, though, she got pregnant. Both their plans were derailed. They got married, the right thing to do. But six months into marriage it was over. Almost. Several counselors tried to help, but to no avail. They visited with a pastor, who patiently and carefully let them air their complaints. He told them that their marriage had no hope. “Only one out of two marriages survive, and that’s when they have something going for them. Yours has no hope”, he said. Then he got up and went to Dave, knelt in front of him, pointed his finger in his face and said, “unless you, young man, determine to hope.”

Hope rekindled helped them to grow, and to mend. Their marriage healed and began to thrive. Four kids later they wanted to celebrate their tenth anniversary with a second wedding, a renewing of their vows. They staged it on a beach, at sunset. As the ceremony progressed Dave was overwhelmed with God’s grace that had flowed into his life, his marriage, his family. Grace that had rescued, grace that had forgiven and healed, grace that had salvaged and recommissioned a broken life. He felt God looking down on them and saying from heaven above, “that’s my boy. Yes sir, that’s my boy!”

Stories of God’s grace, his powerful grace, stir my heart and bring tears to my eyes. I’m not sure everyone felt the same. I’m sure that for many men the spiritual how-to advice was much more significant. But another comment, made by Don Miller, helped to bring context to my feelings. “Apart from failure and pain,” he said, “apart from adversity, or sorrow, or temptation, we would not have an appetite for the grace of God.” And in God’s redemptive plan, whenever there is hunger He will satisfy. Whenever there is an appetite for his grace he will fill it abundantly.

Many may agree that adversity or sorrow should direct us to God’s grace. But failure? Failure is grounds for disqualification, not grace, some would say. But for God, failure is an opportunity for the first step, or a renewed step, on the "narrow path" of grace, an opportunity for his powerful grace to love, to forgive, to repent. To redeem and to restore. An opportunity, once grace has done a marvelous work, for a proud Father to say, “That’s my boy!”

“Now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death, to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation.” (Colossians 1:22)