Christian Writers Circle

To Know Him & To Make Him Known

by

Kathleen Shore

     Today marked 28 years that I have crawled into Father God’s lap, to rest my head upon His promise…. “I will be a Father to the fatherless.”

As I moved about my morning, I felt oxygen breathed into my chest as God re-captivated me with a remembrance that was a commission, an impartation….

It was about 3 weeks before Dad went home to heaven that a video was taken of him with the intention of giving him the chance to share with his four children, all the things he would not be there to say throughout their lives.

The tape was set to record and with great patience and intensive care, questions were asked to help prompt his sharing. But the words just wouldn’t come…. The difficulty of “where to begin” showed on his face as minutes passed by. Respectfully, another question would be asked, and then another…. trying to help him put his thoughts into words.

But he had always spoken most profoundly with his life, he had been the greatest of teachers by walking it out in front of us…. and now to try and give words to the diverse needs of his four children, was painfully crippling and seemed more than inadequate.

The now twenty minutes gone by, had exhausted even those who were interviewing Dad and in one last attempt to leave a legacy for us, his brother in law said, “Don, is there just one thing that you would want your children to remember you saying…. Is there one thing you would say, this is what I want for them?”

Dad’s lip and chin began to quiver as tears ran down his face…. He now knew what he wanted to say!

“The one thing….” he said with clarity and strength, “The one thing I would want for my children, is that…. they would know The Word.”

Not to have memorized the address of where a certain scripture could be found, but to know Him, The Word, The Bread of Life – the source of life.

Not ensnared by the enticement to figure Him out, but their eyes so fixed upon Jesus, as to know Him…. and be satisfied with being empowered by His mystery unfolded in secret places…. sometimes dark, cold, painful places.

What Dad desired for us, came from standing at the entrance to heaven’s gates. Yet he knew that he could not give that to us…. he could only deliver to us the source. And so, he laid me in Abba’s lap as he stepped through the veil.

To know you as my Father God out of this, is like nothing I could have ever sought after and found. But you knew the way to deliver your love to me, you knew the way to catch my eye, your perfect love has held me and healed me through all my earthly loss and made it my kingdom gain.

My mountain top experience was set right down in my valley of the shadow…. A field of lilies for you to browse among, in pleasure, grew up right in the valley of dry bones.

This is the mystery of hidden treasures, riches stored up in secret places…. all that I would know that You are the Lord, who calls me by name. (Isaiah 45:3)