Recently, I took a Thursday off to go up to northern Minnesota to visit my family. My visits are typically few and far between, but I treasure my time back in my small hometown of Longville. I did not appreciate the thermometer bottoming out at -22, but I had a great time visiting my mom and sisters.
Mom and I did our best to relive a few longtime traditions by listening to some old Christmas songs—she loves the classics. We decorated the house with lights, set up the tree, and even exchanged some gifts. My mom is 80, homebound, and lives alone. She has some issues with mobility so she depends on my sisters (her "angels") to take care of groceries, supplies, and paperwork. She still lives in the old, drafty home that I grew up in.
Even though she lives three hours away, my mom has been an Eagle Brook attender for many years—she has only been to church once, but she attends every day at home. She doesn't have the internet; in fact, she has never touched a computer. For years now, I have been sending her CDs of Eagle Brook messages. I started by sending her copies of DVDs from when I was filling in as a teaching pastor in Ground Zero and Revolution. She loved the music and the messages, and her faith started to grow. I hesitate to mention this, but she has a star-struck kind of crush on one of Eagle Brook's drummers, Kevin. Cute, huh?
Someone at the church office cleaned out a closet somewhere and gave away multiple sets of old message series, so old, in fact, that they were on cassette tapes. I sent those to mom and she loved them. Over time I started sending her CDs of weekend messages. She began to share them with friends and family and she listened to them over and over again, day after day, week after week.
Since she struggled with reading, my wife found some great books on CD and we sent those up north with more Eagle Brook CDs. We sent books from Henry Cloud, Bob Goff, John Ortberg, and her favorite, Bob Merritt. :) We even sent music CDs that would allow her to experience worship in her living room.
I started to notice changes in mom. She complained less about aches and pains, she became more patient, and found joy and contentment in simple things. We talk on the phone regularly and I hear her say things like: "I have everything I need. I have food, water, shelter, my messages, my music, and my time with God. I keep learning more and putting those things into practice; I love my church." We have watched my mom's transformation and thought things could never get better and then a miracle happened.
You see, more than 40 years ago my mom was married to my father and they had seven children; I was last in line. Then, without any explanation or much conversation at all, my dad's alcoholism and infidelity got the best of him and he decided to abandon his family. Mom was left with no car, no job, no husband, no money, and seven kids who ranged from 8 months to 16 years old.
Mom lost the house in Golden Valley and moved up north to be closer to where she grew up. There were many tough years--many days where my siblings went hungry or went without new school clothes or simple pleasures. Thank the Lord for the generosity of a small town community that brought us a turkey and all the trimmings one year for Thanksgiving. Through all of the troubles, though, somewhere in the back of her mind, mom kept hoping that someday things would get better.
Mom eventually remarried and built a new life with my step-father. He was a good man and a Christ follower. He died more than a decade ago. Mom continues to grow in her faith, taking steps toward God on a daily basis. She listens to her Bible on tape, worships from her couch, enjoys Bob and "the Jasons'" messages, and is learning to love God and others.
This fall, she received a miracle phone call. Her ex-husband called; after decades without contact, my dad called her on the phone. It was the kind of moment only God can bring about. After 44 years, he called to apologize to my mom. He asked for forgiveness with heartfelt sincerity. My mom had forgiven him years ago, knowing that forgiveness was the only way to heal and move on in life. But having him say the words, "I am sorry, I messed up, it was the biggest mistake of my life," brought closure to both of them. They may never see each other again, or ever talk again, but now God can continue to heal their hearts.
God's grace and forgiveness is a beautiful thing. God is using this church to heal hearts, change lives, and reach people for Christ. Mom tells me that Eagle Brook has changed her life and that her relationship with Jesus has never been better. On my last visit, she tasked me to say "hi" and "thank you" to Pastor Bob. Actually, the "thank you" goes out to all of you for being part of God's amazing church.
Wishing every Eagle Brook family a very Merry Christmas.
