November 15 2018 – Click here to listen
Just when I thought I’d heard it all I ran across an article about a woman who called 911 on her parents for asking her to go to church. The man’s daughter, Ashley Fuller, told deputies from the Union County Sheriff’s Office that she was being “harassed” by her parents, who had simply asked whether she would consider coming to worship service with them. According to news reports, Fuller’s dad approached his 30-year-old daughter while she was in her bedroom and asked if she “wanted to go to church and have communion.” He explained to deputies that she didn’t want to attend church and instead wanted to “make her parents leave the house and leave her alone.” That was when she decided to call 911.
However, the woman’s complaint quickly backfired when, upon arrival, the police calmly told her that what her parents did does not amount to harassment. This made her irate and she got “loud” and used “profane language,” prompting the deputies to arrest her.
I was relieved to hear that the parents weren’t arrested in this age of indulgence. Perhaps some lawyer wanting to make a name for themselves will defend her as a victim. I was thinking porn attorney Michael Avenatti might get the nod; however, he was arrested last night for domestic violence. When he made bail, he allegedly told the press that he was confident that his battered and bruised victim will lose the case because he claims she hit him first.
One of my sons got irate at me not long ago because I mentioned that he should have his children in church every Sunday. (He’d told me that they had missed the last several Sundays.) Fortunately, he didn’t call 911. He was plenty angry and indignant about me saying anything though, and after this incident I asked myself exactly when a parent should quit giving parental advice. After all my kids are grown men. By now they should know my feelings about pretty much everything.
I can’t answer that. I do know it is very hard for me not to give advice to my grown children especially regarding spiritual matters. I hope that they realize that many fathers could care less if their children ever set foot in a church and appreciate that I love them and am concerned about that aspect of their lives along with everything else. I suspect the parents of this young lady feel similarly.
I care about my lost friends too and talk to them all of the time about Jesus and tell them I’m praying for them and I encourage them to go to church with me. They thank me for the effort whether they really ever intend to darken the doorstep of a church or not. My feeling is that we are instructed by God to invite people to church. I suppose I’m more like a bull in a china shop than a skillful diplomat most of the time, but I do it in love. I suppose I should consider other ways to stir up and encourage others that are more persuading, but I know in my heart I will never stop because I cannot.
Hebrews 10:24
And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.