A Carpenter's Daughter

After wiping the sweat from his furrowed brow, the sounds of laughter echoed throughout the carpenter’s thoughts - a reminder of better times. Oh, the rapid-fire questions from his eight-year-old brown-eyed daughter warmed the cold reality of a difficult life. Even to this day those treasured moments warmed his chilled emotions. These days, few people needed chairs and tables. Everyone either losted their job or all their money. The dark days of an economic melt down reached this carpentry shop. Many prosperous years have come and gone. Now the house and woodshop echoed with sound of empty bins and growling stomachs. More scrapping and chopping for little orders only produced more despair from the carpenter’s aching heart. The apple of his eye was gone.

A tear fell from his weather beaten face. A whisper echoed against the walls, "Why did you leave me? Was it that fight over money or your mother’s death from cancer?" No longer able to contain the overwhelming wave of memories, the tools dropped from the carpenter’s hands. Slowly, with the turn of his right hand a name appeared. Tear upon tear fell upon an engraved name. "Rebecca! Rebecca! Come home again!" fell from his quivering lips.

A father’s heart never forgot the tender moments or his daughter’s first steps. A father’s heart never lets go of a wayward daughter. And so it is with Jesus Christ – the true carpenter of humanities heart. Jesus never stopped loving and caring for those, which he beheld. From His risen throne in Glory, Christ’s teary-eyed moments produce a quivering response, "Can a woman forget her nursing child, and not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget you. See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands: Your walls are continually before Me." (Isaiah 49: 15, 16 NKJV) With an ability to see all and know all, Christ planned a future filled with joy, compassion, and love for the apple of His eye. Again His quivering lips respond to the skin pealing rejection from a wayward daughter, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11: 28 NKJV)

Did you hear him? The call from a broken hearted dad? Remember this, the tears you cried over the foreclosure or the repossession of your car, someone else saw and felt your pain. A father never lets go of a daughter’s hand even the rebellious. On the throne in Glory sits a carpenter waiting for a call from a carpenter’s daughter.

Copyright 2008 Patricia Charlton

Sign of the Times

After thirty years of public school teaching my brother-in-law retired. His retirement brought peace, contentment, and renovations. The burden of endless regulations and parent teacher meetings faded into the wastebasket of old memories. The good times arrived with cruises and community good works. With a clear conduct record, the school board confidently assigned fill in teaching assignments. Until a phone call from the police department crashed into my brother-in-law’s perfect conduct record.

At thirteen years of age, the conquering spirit of my brother-in-law bounded over cancer. Even the loss of a leg due to cancer couldn’t stop the urge to achieve great things. Until an accusation about sexual misconduct shattered the dreams and a perfect conduct record. A former student from twenty years ago filed an accusation with the police department. The enemy’s tactics knows no limits. Satan is the ultimate accuser. Take heed about this sign of the time: "Fear none of those thins which thou shalt suffer. Behold the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that you may be tried…." (Revelation 2: 10 NKJV)

After the interview, finger printing, and photo, the charge of sexual assault shocked more than his family. The school board removed my brother-in-law’s name from any further fill in teaching assignments. If that wasn’t enough to instill a guilty feeling within my brother-in-law, the school board regulations hindered my brother-in-law from all contact with former students and teachers. Don’t be fooled! Guilty until proven innocent is another sign of the time.

Words of warning, if you are a teacher or youth worker, protect yourself. Never teach without a partner. Never be alone with a student. Piano teachers, file your lessons with all young students. You never know when or how an accusation shatters your future plans. Your enemy – Satan – seeks someone to devour.

If wrongfully accused, bring an attorney with you to the police station. Know you legal rights. Because of the sing of the time requires that all saints guard against any future accusations. Once a criminal charge is laid life never returns to a former innocence. The seeds of doubt cloud any former friendships. Heartache and misunderstandings invade your future plans and pleasant retirement. So, pray for protection for your family members, Sunday school teachers, or youth workers before this sign of the time destroys more perfect conduct records.

Copyright 2008 Patricia Charlton