Posts Tagged ‘Isaiah’
Farewell to Indian Country
The fields that surround the farm house where I grew up are known to my son and his cousins as “Indian country.” My dad was always fascinated by Indians and in his make-believe play as a boy he would often run among them as a young brave. One day as my dad led his grandchildren on a walk through the field he thought they’d enjoy this imaginary world from his childhood. He sat down on a flat rock and began to tell them stories about the Indian chief that would gather his braves around him at that very spot. The Indians always seemed to be just beyond the horizon, but somtimes dad would say if the kids squinted their eyes hard enough they could see them in the distance. And so Indian country became a part of Isaiah’s childhood… and he loved every minute he spent there with grandpa as his guide.
Yesterday was Isaiah’s last walk into Indian country before we leave for Italy. From the outset I knew that one difficulty of ministering on a foreign field would be leaving behind pieces of our lives that we would not normally have set aside. On this day Isaiah would leave behind Indian country. The finality of seeing my son walk quietly beside his grandpa in a place that has held such magic for them both was sobering and once again I was reminded how greatly my calling affects the lives of those I love.
Today was the last day we would visit my parents’ farm for quite some time. Isaiah hugged and kissed both his grandparents good-bye and his smiling face told them he loved them and would miss them. As we got in the car he could no longer hold back the tears and he began to weep. I drove silently. Sandy consoled Isaiah. Pearl slept. Isaiah wept some more. He said, “I didn’t want to cry around grandma and grandpa. I didn’t want to upset them.” Grandpa’s little “Indian” was trying hard to be brave.
I entrust Isaiah to his Saviour and fully believe he has an incredible life ahead of him filled with many adventures. As he looks back into the shadows of his mind the “Indians” that always evaded him on his exploits with grandpa will only grow clearer with time. And for dad, as he imagines our new life in Italy, in his mind there will always be a little blonde headed boy running around in Indian country.
Baptism
The word baptism comes into English directly from a Greek word meaning to dip or immerse. Baptism pictures the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ as the believer is immersed under the water and raised up again. It is a public testimony of the convert’s identification with Jesus Christ and spiritual immersion into Him. It is a witness to the fact that the believer’s life has been transformed by becoming a follower of Jesus Christ.
There is much false teaching among those claiming to be Christians concerning baptism. The Church of Christ falsely teaches that baptism is necessary for salvation by twisting Acts 2:38 as well as other scriptures unto their own destruction. However there are no cases of baptism in the Bible of anyone but believers after their salvation. Given that Sandy was raised Church of Christ she has been especially sensitive in not rushing Isaiah to be baptized to ensure that he understood its significance without connecting it in anyway to his salvation experience at the age of four.
Although baptism is not essential for salvation it is essential for service and it is the first step towards spiritual maturity. As an ordained minister I have been given the authority by my local church to administer the ordinance of baptism. On Sunday evening August 28th I had the privilege of baptizing Isaiah at our home church. It was a special experience for me as a father.
I got choked up as I said, “Isaiah Matthew Planck, upon your profession of faith in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” As I took Isaiah under the water and spoke the words, “Buried in the likeness of Christ’s death” it seemed that time stood still for a moment. Christ’s death in the Father’s eyes was impressed upon my spirit as I beheld my son with eyes shut under the water. How it must have grieved the Heavenly Father to see the death of His only begotten Son, but it was for only a moment. As I brought Isaiah up out of the water and from this picture of death, the congregation shouted with joy and I could hardly hear myself say, “raised in the likeness of His resurrection.”
Later I reflected on the shout of joy among the congregation as I simultaneously spoke of the resurrection and brought my son back into view. I considered how all of heaven must have roared with excitement as the Son of God was raised from the dead. Hallelujah. Praise the Lord we serve a risen Saviour and are enabled to walk in the power of His resurrection.
“And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” – Acts 8:36,37
Salvation of God
As Sandy and I sat on the couch watching television we came across a movie titled Heart Full of Rain. When the name of the main character was first mentioned we simultaneously looked at each other and repeated it, “Isaiah!” From that moment we knew what we would name our son.
Of course we were familiar with the name Isaiah because of the book in the Old Testament that bears the name of the prophet who wrote it but for some reason hearing the name Isaiah spoken that evening resonated within us. The name Isaiah in Hebrew means Salvation of God, the meaning of which expressed our utmost desire for the unborn son in Sandy’s womb.
We have prayed for Isaiah since before he was born, not only his spiritual well-being but also his mental, physical, and emotional health. The Lord has blessed us beyond measure.
Isaiah has always been tender to the things of God. We have tried to instill within him as a child a love and knowledge of the holy scriptures. Since the time he was four years old Sandy has taught him memory verses from the Bible. We have been amazed at how much scripture he can recite. He has always loved Bible stories, church, and praying as a family. I am thankful that at his young age he shows a concern for people’s souls. I remember Sandy and I taking him to downtown Dayton when he was four and seeing him literally run up to strangers with his little hand extended, clutching gospel tracts to give them. I don’t know what the Lord has in store for him but I pray that he will always have a deep love of God and His word.
Isaiah loves to read my old Calvin and Hobbes comic books about a precocious six-year old and his stuffed tiger
named Hobbes. Isaiah reminds me a lot of Calvin with his quick wit and spirit for adventure. Sometime he parrots Calvin a little too much… someone once asked him who he was, to which he replied, “My parent’s greatest accomplishment.” He entertains Sandy and me so much, and Pearl thinks he’s the funniest person in the world. Her little face lights up when she sees her “bubby” walk in the room.
Isaiah expresses his love for Sandy often. On his own accord he has picked her flowers since he could walk. I don’t know how many times I have seen him approach Sandy and proudly give her a handful of dandelions as if they were the most beautiful flowers in the world. I have also seen him on a number of occasions dab Sandy’s eyes with tissues when she had been crying and hug her neck reassuringly. When Sandy was six months pregnant with Pearl we had an ice storm. After they pulled into the drive Isaiah was the first to get out of the car and he immediately slipped on the ice and fell hard to the ground. He looked up at Sandy and the first words he said were, “I’m glad I fell instead of you mommy.” I thank the Lord he is so thoughtful concerning others.
We celebrated Isaiah’s 9th birthday on Tuesday (August 23rd). We praise God for blessing us with such a special little boy.
“A wise son maketh a glad father” – Proverbs 10:1a