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Is Your Name Next to His?
by Susan Brown I really try very hard not to get involved in FB posts that are controversial or political, since it seems that very little good comes out. Over the last few weeks we have watched the Dugger's story take over every kind of media known to man, and have seen almost as many comments lashed out as there are stars in the sky. My thoughts rolling around inside my own head, but tonight I feel the lid popping off. A 14 year old child, Josh Dugger, did some bad things 12 years ago. How bad? In his own mother's words: "very bad!" And because of these "very bad" choices, we have decided 12 years later to use our vast media influence to lash out to destroy himand his wife, his children, his 18 siblings, his parents and his grandparents, as well as to attack their character and future influence. Worse than that, Christians have begun to attack Christians. This is brutal. This is love gone cold. I hope that those of you who know meand previously liked mewill take the time to read this entire article before you start throwing your darts. You see, when I watched the Kelly File interview, my mother heart just wanted to reach into the TV and hold Michelle for a few minutes. Her heart is bleeding. It is hard to express the pain you feel when you have poured your best efforts into training the ones you love, and then you watch as they make wrong choicesand the aftermath, the hurtful aftermath of watching them walk out the consequences of what they've done. What mother do you know that has raised all of her children, whether 1 or 19, perfectly? No mistakes. No mishaps. No child making a dreadful teenage choice, or at least none that were illegally plastered on the walls of every American home. And how many parents do you know that would discuss it, discipline the guilty, structure the home to protect the innocent, send their own child out of the home to be trained, and when he returned still make him go confess to the law, and then go through counseling, and make him pay for it himself!! I am in no way playing down what he did. I minister to those molested and abused. He was dead wrong, and like he said, extremely hurtful! But his family certainly did more to protect the children, train Josh in Godly living, and make him face the legal aspect of his crime, than any parent I have known in over forty years of ministry. Perhaps all of the holy people that have never had any ugliness of sin touch their homes and their families, have trouble understanding this, and that is why they feel the need to rip open a Christian household and try to victimize victims that God in His love had covered and protected. I just cannot understand why Christians are attacking Christians. Their home wasn't perfect. They admit that. They may have not handled it as perfectly as the next set of parents. They admit that. But the family has walked out love and forgiveness, and stayed together for 12 years! Hello!! I mean seriously now, how many know of a brother, an uncle, a father, that in a childhood frenzy of curiosity and bouncing hormones did not play doctor or worse at some point. Now sit downquietlet me finish! In the culture in which we have become accustomed to drugs, alcohol, abuse, molestations, date rape, sleeping around, disease, sex changes, body piercing, tattoos, disrespect to parents, open sex beaches for high school homecomings, prom dresses that have become so bad that principals have to censor them, pants that have to be held up to cross the street, demonic cuttings, murderous challenges, and mouths flooding with four letter wordsand that's just a small high school samplingdo we really think that we could have handled the Dugger situation better? What are we trying to accomplish by victimizing those beautiful girls?? Or in a society where we frequently see rapist go free, human trafficking make slaves of our children, and business men carry on in prostitute rings in broad daylight, should our attention be so monopolized as to seek out established men who committed this crime as children of 14, drug to the streets to be on trial? And for those flying off the handle that "these mormans" are doin this or that, here are the facts: The Duggers are Independent Baptists. And while they may not practice life like you feel they should, they read the Bible and strive to live according to the BibleKing James...and where the Bible says that when you confess your sin, Jesus has shed His blood, died, was buried, and rose again so that you might have forgiveness and be justified, they believe it! They actually live it and practice it. They practice repentance and growing in the grace and mercy of Christ. They seek to live according to the Truth. I am sure they are not perfect, and they have said so. Neither am I. I do not know them personally and have never met them. I have no reason to defend them, but I would be honored to know them. The fact that their family and extended family expresses no animosity, judgement, or division ought to awake Christians everywhere that where we have sinned, Jesus Christ is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteouness. Every tabloid, every media rant ought to remind us that He loves us and remembers our sin no more! Every unforgiving FB comment ought to silently shout that with the same judgement you extend, you shall be judgedif not nowperhaps in 12 years! The only good that could come out of this is that some vile sinner might come to the realization of the forgiving power in the blood of Jesus, and come to salvation in Christ! His name may never be seen on FB, but it will be in the Lamb's Book of Life. Maybe right next to one of the Duggers!
Sue is the founder and president of Arising to Excellence Ministries whose mission is to educate, encourage and empower others to pursue excellence, by His grace. Sue and her husband, Paul, her children and her grandchildren reside in Grapevine, Texas. Paul and Sue served as senior pastors for over 25 years and have been serving the body of Christ for over 40 years. Sue is a veteran homeschooler, and author of Designed for Destiny, and Excellence in High Heels, and is currently working on her soon-to-be published Of God and Genders. Women across the country and internationally have sipped tea, laughed and been moved to tears through Sue's "Restoring Femininiti", and her collection of teapots, stories and vessel lessons. Paul and Sue Brown are members of Covenant Colleyville Church in Colleyville, Texas.
Speaking or contact information: www.arisingtoexcellence.org
Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |