In the Name Of Love

If you have been on social media, in the past month, you've no doubt seen post from big name news sources spotlighting an incestial relationship between a 36 year old father and his 18 year old, long lost daughter. On the outside chance you missed it, here's a link to click. Warning, if reading this makes you nauseated, don't read the detailed interview of the daughter. It will make you loose your cookies. Before social media, I remember a time when such subjects were taboo or at least shocking. Even now, the subject has brought a frenzy of comments on Facebook and Twitter. With exception to the warped mind convinced of their bleeding heart, the overall sentiment of the public is incest is totally wrong. I concur. What else would you expect from an intolerant Christian? What about the rest of tolerant society? Apparently, even the godless find incest intolerable. Top atheist writers find incest so repulsive they write about the problems of  "emotional incest". You can google it along with Patheos. If you can get around the obvious attack on Christianity, you'll find the atheist are on to something. It's a real parent trap, everyone, especially Christians, should be mindful of. Still, does any of this matter if God is nonexistent?
If there such a thing as "normal" behavior and wright and wrong when it comes to relationships, where does it come from? If man determines his own destiny, by whose authority do we condemn incest? If a god directs our paths, who are we to judge?  If it's happiness, then this couple seems to be in bliss. At least, for now, but there's always divorce once the new, I mean ick, wears off . If it is okay, as long as they are not hurting anyone, then let it go. How can it threaten "the  family " or society? Using the possibility of birth defects begs this question . Can those, not yet conceived, have the right to a stronger genetic code than incest can provide, while somehow those conceived have no right to life? Even the most tolerant are shaking their heads in disbelief of incest.  Despite the scientific suggestions incestials are born this way,  it's a safe bet you find this wrong. If being born a certain way legitimizes homosexual relationships, then certainly GSA would in turn, rationalize incest. Right?  Don't you trust the science? It would seem the smoke and mirrors of research hasn't clouded society's collective reflection of incest, pedophilia, and beastiality. For the moment, these are still just plain wrong. Well, except in the case of incest. It's  plainly wrong everywhere in the U.S. but New Jersey. Yet, many of those who can't palate incest, would swallow their own medicine where incest is concerned to spoonfeed the rest of us "we aren't on a slippery slope". No matter how much sugar you cut it with, it still tastes yucky and no one's convinced it's good for us. If marriage becomes a constitutional right, what will be the grounds for preventing incestial couples from matrimony? How long before we force pastors to marry incestial couples or threesomes? Photographers and bakers be afraid. When did we equate sex to love? Does attraction demand an uncontrollable action? Where did we loose control?

 The bible teaches "God is Love" 1John4:8. In that respect, there are no limits to love but loving relationships have boundaries. Those boundaries are clearly drawn by the inventer, engineer, and chief architect of love and sex. For now, at least in this case, the general consensus wants certain lines to go uncrossed. In a world where lines are so blurry that pedophiles can create charitable organizations demanding equality, like B4-UACT, a few more questions come mind. Like, how much more insanity will we tolerate? And what other relationship boundaries might the bible be right about ? 

Protecting Les Graham's Image

Christians are really good at putting their best foot forward. We should be, Jesus told us we "are a city on a hill". Everything about us should shine like the truth in us. Yet in our eagerness to look good to the world, Christians often present an unrealistic image. It's akin to admiring a photoshopped version of model that doesn't really exist. Laboring to keep up this image, keeps people from  wanting anything we have. If it's partially put on, they believe it's all a lie. But, it's not just potiental converts we cheat. It's everything and everybody, from ourselves to our world.

 Putting our best foot forward might be the the Achilles heal in strengthening our faith. It's a trap I've fallen into before and occasionally still fall into. Even though I try to keep it real, in ways you'll never see on Sunday or social media, I've failed as a husband, parent, and anything and everything else I am including a Christian. Saved people might be saved but they will always be in need of their savior. God loves to fix things we are too ashamed to admit to the world. 

One of the things I was too ashamed to admit was I hated Les Graham. Though I was sure he was destined for hell, I literally wouldn't have cared if he died. In my defense, he was easy to hate. After all, it's so much more pleasant to despise anyone's actions other than your own. Never mind what I was, he was a liar, thief, and crackhead. As far as I was concerned, the world would have been a better place without Les. Looking back, I realize this says more about the sorry condition of my soul than his. Of everything Les was, or wasn't that he should have been, he was destined to become the most unlikely of all things. He was to become my friend. 

While Les spent a few years in prison, I got involved in a prison ministry. By the time Les was released, both of us had done a lot of changing. In one of my 

most bizarre encounters with God, he commanded me to hire Les. I didn't want to do it. I didn't hate Les anymore but I still didn't like him. Knowing how hypocritical it would be, to tell prisoners they could change, then not help one was more like conviction than compassion. In our small town, you're guilty by association and Les had ripped off everyone or their brother. At least, that's what everyone said. It didn't matter that it wasn't true if everyone believed it. Hiring him would not be strategic business planning. It was business suicide. But, I did it anyway because God is insistent in getting His way.

 Running a business in the construction industry is tough. It gets messy. It can bring out the worst in you, and having a hardheaded convicted felon on your team doesn't do much for your attitude or your bottom line. Especially, since your clientele has abandoned you, and you doubt the new employee knows or even cares that it's because of him. More than once, Les made me roll my eyes toward heaven and throw up both hands. Les got to see the real me and he challenged my Christian charity to its limits. It wasn't a choir boy image, Les was seeing. But, it was really me, from my strengths to my weaknesses. Over the next five years, both Les and myself continued to change. Slowly, he became someone I dearly loved. He wasn't much to look at but he was a lot to talk about. He got blamed for every unsolved crime that followed his release.  I saw first hand how false accusations due to his past held him back and knew if I hadn't learned to love him, I be one of those making the accusations. I could spend hours telling of how Les and I changed each other. It would bring tears and laughter. Eventually, Les would come to be a Christ follower. I've never seen anyone more on fire for Jesus. Despite the doubts and accusations, he's impacting his community positively. At this moment, he's in Africa bringing both clean water and living water to people who have never had them. Wouldn't you know, the naysayers, so careful to protect their image, who wouldn't  lift a pinky, are still questioning his motives, methods, and ministry. Which means, he's doing something right. This man is impacting the world I once thought was better off without him.

 I went to hear Les give his powerful testimony. It's been my greatest honor to have him mention how God used me in a small way in his coming to a radical love for Christ. I'd swell up with pride except I know the truth. I know I needed fixing and God used Les to do it. Before either of us knew, God had chosen him to do mighty things.  I often think how close I came to missing a miracle just to put my best foot forward. Protecting my image would not have protected me or the church. We don't need to bear the burden of an unrealistic image . We should never forget what we have to bear, the image of the Almighty. Something Les has learned and taught others to do. Like me.

Trains, Goals, & Plans

 Proverbs  29:  18 says "Where there is no vision, the people perish:..." I couldn't think of anything else on the broken subway I was stuck in. I kept thinking how many neat metaphors I could make from the experience. I could use: missing the train, the wrong train, or stuck going nowhere. I could apply them and make a lesson about goals from the situation. But I won't.

  Proverbs 29:18, was one of the first Proverbs I learned as new believer. Sammy Johnson quoted those words from the pew in my home church the first time I heard them. It might as well been Solomon himself speaking. Sammy was the youth leader at my church, who constantly taught us the importance of planning. It was easy to see positive effects of planning not only in Sammy's life but also in his son, Scott's life. Scott is now a pastor and awesome man. No doubt a testament to the successful plans of a loving father. There's a simile, just like our Heavenly Father plans for our  future. Sammy and Scott made a special trip to Duke to see me the week of my surgery. During their visit, I remembered those faithful words Sammy had taught me years ago.

Early in my Christian walk, I learned never to make New Year's resolutions. Resolutions are proof that faith without works is dead. They remind me of some church council meetings I've attended. If you don't be intentional and set goals, it just ain't gonna happen. There's some power in setting goals. At least in my case, my resolving falls short.
 There's something about writing down a goal and putting where you can see it that resonates with you. "Fail to plan and plan to fail". There's not a successful person, in the world, who hasn't had these words drilled into them. I even found this neat link about bible verses that tell us to set goals.
The new year is a perfect time to set some God sized goals. I'm sharing some of my own.

1. Broaden my ministry's reach.Through speaking,  missions, and outreach. Stepping up my giving. Creating a family devotion time.
2. Lose another 30 pounds. Back at the gym and using the lose it app.
3. Learn to play the guitar. I'm ordering the Keith Urban deal. Never ordered off TV before .

4. Getting closer to debt free. 

Just like eating an elephant. Or maybe a couple hundred.

5. Beating Cancer. That's not up to me 

I can't help but think, Gideon wasn't planning on becoming a mighty man of valor treading wheat in a winepress. Peter wasn't planning on meeting Jesus. God only knows what Paul was planning to do in Damascus. But God has a plan of His own .

Twenty years later, I understand it not my vision I perish in lacking. Now another Proverb would burn into my heart. Proverb 16. Verse nine says, "The mind of a man plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps."  I set some God sized goals in 2014 and God showed up and showed off. Actually, I am wrapping up one today by launching a new website. www.clinthardwick.com .The Broken Vessel  has had well over 5000 views since July and a few changes need to happen. It has a translator button being installed since it is being read in 20 different nations on 5 continents. I can't help thinking how God has used cancer to accomplish these goals. Yesterday, I shared the gospel with the shuttle driver. She and her daughter are going to church for the first time in her 16 year old daughter's life, with me. I'm getting her a bible. I would have never been here had it not been for this disease. We've already had our first bible study.

 Getting cancer didn't fit into my five year plan. I would not have chosen getting stuck in Boston anymore than getting stuck on a train. But God did. He ordered my steps and answered my prayers. He promised He would in Proverbs 16 :3 .

Commit your works to the LORD And your plans will be established .He knows how to get things done. I plan on giving Him all the glory.

Proverbs 13:16

Verse Concepts

Every prudent man acts with knowledge, But a fool displays folly.
- See more at: http://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Goal-Setting#sthash.j4ftZt2b.dpuf

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Proverbs 16:9

Verse Concepts

The mind of man plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps.
- See more at: http://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Goal-Setting#sthash.R6JCxCqK.dpuf

Proverbs 16:9

Verse Concepts

The mind of man plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps.
- See more at: http://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Goal-Setting#sthash.R6JCxCqK.dpuf

Proverbs 16:9

Verse Concepts

The mind of man plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps.
- See more at: http://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Goal-Setting#sthash.R6JCxCqK.dpuf