“If I ever do a perfect act of love, I’ll probably be proud of it, and then it won’t be a perfect act anymore. Maybe if I die in the midst of performing this act, I could do it.” – man on radio (wish I knew who he was)
When I heard it, this idea struck me. Even my best efforts are littered with selfishness and pride. My “wants” show up in the most unlikely of places – even when I “serve,” I want to be recognized – or I want someone else to take notice and look at me with more admiration, etc. My service serves myself. I’m sinful. Very sinful.
Scripture addresses this too.
Isaiah 64:6 – “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags.“
Romans 7:21-25 – “So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand.For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being,but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.”
So here’s the question: How can I get rid of this? How can I serve selflessly? Of course the only REAL answer is Jesus. He alone has done a “perfect act of love” – the cross. He alone is perfect, and so all of His acts were perfect. Ours are NOT. Nor will they ever be. Our acts of service and sacrifice are always going to be tainted with at least a little bit of selfishness. We are sinners, but because of His “perfect act of love” (the cross), we can receive forgiveness and will be made holy. Our selfishness is forgiven and covered by His blood.
A perfect act of love? This is not a goal for us to attain, but a grace that Jesus has offered to us.
We had a great time today at the Beltway 8 BMX track! The people at the track were great hosts and led us through the whole process. Some of the riders were very helpful to Kasen and the other little guys while they were on the track as well.
Kasen loved his first experience as a BMX racer. He even fell down once and got up to race the next time – made daddy very proud. As a dad, I’m learning so much about what it means to love – and how much God must love me. I take so much joy in watching my kids. It doesn’t matter too much what they’re doing – I just love watching them learn, and grow, and experience new things. I love watching them succeed and even watching them overcome obstacles when they fail. It’s so much fun watching who they are becoming.
I’m recognizing how great God’s love must be for me in all of this too. If I can love my kids in this way, I figure God’s love must be even better. Maybe it I shouldn’t stress so much about “what” I’m doing and focus more on “who” I’m becoming? Maybe that’s more what God is interested in too?
Anyway, here’s the video: You can see all of it – the good, the bad, the wipeout. . . everything. Miranda pointed out that I say “buddy” an awful lot too.
Kasen and Kesleigh love playing in the water. We went to our friend’s birthday party earlier this week and Kasen was the smallest kid on the Big Slide. He was so proud of himself. (Makes daddy proud too) He really had to work up the courage to go down on his tummy, but he did it. I’ve always said I want to raise a risk-taker. When Kesleigh saw daddy filming Kasen, she had to get on a slide too. Funny.
If you’re reading this on Facebook, please go to the actual blog post. The audio will not work on Facebook. http://stevecorn.com/2011/07/fathers-day-surprise/
Miranda helped Kasen and Kesleigh record an audio book for me for Father’s Day. It was a big surprise. It’s actually a book that Miranda bought that was set up for the recording process. Anyway, I took the audio and put it here ’cause it’s so cool. My kids (and bride) are AWESOME!
Father’s Day 2011.mp3
Miranda says that she didn’t coach them at all, but some of their answers are pretty perfect. Of course my kids are pretty perfect too. (I’m not biased either.)
Transcript:
Miranda: Where do you like to go with dad on a Saturday and why Kesleigh?
Kesleigh: The beach
Miranda: Where do you like to go Kasen?
Kasen: Go to . . . play volleyball.
Miranda: OK. And what game do you like to play with dad?
Kesleigh: I play a game
Kasen: That’s me.
Miranda: Would you and dad have more fun on a boat, a dog sled, or a spaceship Kesleigh?
Kasen& Kesleigh: A spaceship.
Miranda: and where would you go?
Kasen: to the moon and jump.
Miranda: You would go to the moon and jump Kasen?
Kasen: Uh huh.
Miranda: Where would you go Kesleigh?
Kesleigh: to the moon and jump.
Miranda: You would go to the moon and jump too?
Kesleigh: Yes
Miranda: What else would you do when you were there?
Kasen: Uh. . . not slide down.
Miranda: Not slide down?
Kasen: No, because it’s too far.
Miranda: Too far. Kasen, if you and daddy were superheroes, what powers would you have?
Kasen: Fly super high. . . fast.
Miranda: Superfast. And what would your names be? What would you call yourselves?
Kasen: My name would be Batman an daddy’s name would be Superman.
Miranda: Those are good names. What do you think Kesleigh? What would your superpowers be?
Kesleigh: My daddy o Superman.
Miranda: He’s Superman?
Kesleigh: Yes.
Miranda: Well, what are you?
Kesleigh: I’m SuperBatman.
Miranda: Kesleigh if daddy were a king, what kind of food would he have at his feast?
Kesleigh: Ketchup
Miranda: Ketchup? What else.
Kesleigh: Just ketchup.
Miranda: Just ketchup. Kasen, what kind of food do you think daddy would have at his feast?
Kasen: Uh. . . . sausage and biscuits.
Miranda: Sausage and biscuits. That’s a good food. Do you think your favorite food is the same? What is your favorite food?
Kasen: Grilled Cheese.
Miranda. Grilled Cheese. What is your favorite food Kesleigh?
Kesleigh: Cheese.
Miranda: Cheese. Just cheese huh? OK – What kind of animals would daddy have at his castle Kesleigh?
Kesleigh: I don’t. . . some ketchup. . . some ketchup.
Miranda: What animals?
Kesleigh: some ketchup.
Miranda: Kasen, what kind of animals do you think daddy would have at his castle?
Kasen: Sheep and uh . . . uh. . . a king.
Miranda: He would be the king?
Kasen: Uh huh.
Miranda: Kasen, where do you think daddy’s favorite spot in our house is?
Kasen: . . . . in the bathroom?
Miranda: <laughing> In the bathroom? And what do you think daddy does there?
Kasen: Potty.
Miranda: He goes potty. OK. Kesleigh, where do you think daddy’s favorite spot in the house. . .
Kesleigh: He goes to get ice cream.
Miranda: When he goes to get ice cream?
Kesleigh: Yes.
Miranda: Where does he go to get ice cream?
Kesleigh: At. . . at Chick-a-lay. (Chickfila)
Miranda: At Chickfila? OK. If daddy could be the same age as you Kasen, for just one day, what do you think you would do together?
Kasen: Swing.
Miranda: You would swing? What else would you do with him?
Kasen: Umm. . .
Miranda: What else would you do with daddy? What do you like to do with him?
Kasen: Potty.
Miranda: You like to go potty with him?
Kasen: Uh huh.
Miranda: OK. What else?
Kasen: Um. . .
Miranda: If daddy won a gold medal for doing something incredible, what do you think he’d win the medal for?
Kasen: Loving.
Miranda: Loving. For loving who?
Kasen: For loving me and Kesleigh.
Miranda: For loving you and Kesleigh? That’s a nice one. OK Kasen, look here. If daddy gave you a big trophy for doing something amazing, what do you think you would be doing that was so amazing for him to give you a trophy?
Kasen: ?????? <distracted>
Miranda: Kesleigh, what is it that you like about daddy?
Kesleigh: Kisses.
Miranda: His kisses?
Kesleigh: <whispered> Yes.
Miranda: What else?
Kesleigh: and his birthday.
Miranda: And his birthday? Kasen, what do you like about daddy?
Kasen: For playin’ baseball.
Miranda: Cause he plays baseball with you?
Kasen: Uh huh.
Miranda: What else do you like?
Kasen: Uh. . . eating ice cream.
Miranda: Eating ice cream with him?
Kasen: Un huh.
Miranda: That’s a good one. OK. Let’s say we love you daddy.
After church today, we came home and went outside in the back yard. Here’s the conversation I had with Kasen. (3yrs)
Kasen: Daddy, where does the wind come from?
Me: I don’t know Kasen. We can’t see it, but we can feel it.
Kasen: We can’t see Jesus, but we can feel him too.
Wow!! We’ve had a similar conversation before, but I didn’t think he’d remember it all so clearly. I told Miranda about it and she said she had talked to him about it as well. It makes me so excited to see him understand so much about God at such an early age.
The sermon today was from John 3, where Jesus is talking to Nicodemus about the work of the Holy Spirit and relating it to the wind. Seems like the wind is what God is wanting us all to remember today. I love it when His voice is so clear!!
I’m turning into one of those guys who everyone dreads to see coming ’cause you just know you’re gonna have to look at more family pics. Oh well – I guess I’m that guy.
“If I ever do a perfect act of love, I’ll probably be proud of it, and then it won’t be a perfect act anymore. Maybe if I die in the midst of performing this act, I could do it.” – man on radio (wish I knew who he was)
