What do you think of when you think of "Father's Day?"
If you are like me whose father has passed from this life, it is usually a bittersweet day, one of reminiscing about the smiles, games, the loving provision, the promises kept and the memories made. Hopefully, your father is still here with you and you will celebrate Father's Day in somewhat similar ways as we all have in the past. To those of you who don't have a father in your life or in your history; keep reading. You will be surprised to realize the blessings you have in your life.
Apart from my own father...
would have been 94 years old on this Father's Day, I fondly think of a dear Jewish man from Lithuania. A Holocaust Survivor. Mordecai Kuritsky but we knew him as Max Curtis, I knew him as "Papa". He visited our Messianic congregation in Cleveland, Ohio, a night before Voice of the Shepherd was a group, it was just Jeff and myself leading worship on Erev Shabbat (Friday night) and Max and Mary visited. He was sitting down and sharing his story when I saw that he was hurriedly trying to unbutton his long sleeved shirt to show us his "numbers". I didn't want to look and cried out to the Lord "Oh Lord, I don't want to see this" and I heard in response "But, my child, you must, it happened".
And in spite of all that he suffered, my Jewish Papa showed me what loving everyone looks like. He loved everyone. All colors, races, religions, it didn't matter to him. He was not bitter though he had lost his family in Lithuania. He had endured a hatred toward the Jewish people and sadly, seen the horrific effects of that hatred. When he was freed on his birthday VE (Victory in Europe) Day. May 8, 1945, he knew HOW MUCH freedom costs and the victory of living a free life. Because of Papa, I can understand, rejoice and celebrate Juneteenth, June 19th with all of our United States African American brothers and sisters. We all deserve freedom. I have since come to understand that "we are all one race...the human race", our diversity is beautiful and there is only ONE God, so we can join hands in hands in prayer and not let religion or race divide us.
Our ultimate Father is Our Father, God or Abba, or as Papa intimately called him with hands upraised, The Almighty. God is a Promising keeping Father. He is the Father to the fatherless. One who has promised and even sent His Promises to us so that we all, through Yeshua's invitation, be together in the Presence of God. Jeff has been given a beautiful melody; piano and voice and has set the Word of God written in John 14:1-2, 6 tin the song, "My Father's House".
It doesn't amaze me that our first holiday (USA) after launching of the
Voice of the Shepherd Worship Website website is Father's Day...
Thank You, Abba,
for providing more opportunity
for your children to sing Your praises
and write more songs
with the Voice of the Shepherd.
Baruch Hashem (Blessed Be the Name)
And thank you dear friend for visiting us here at the Voice of the Shepherd Worship Music blog where you will surely find more very real, encouraging, and even miraculous stories of ordinary people, even in uncertain times, who have trusted in the One and only certain God.
Until next time...may you hear the Voice of the Shepherd.
With much love, prayer and blessings,
Denise
Voice of the Shepherd
No comments:
Post a Comment