A Real Hero: My Father

Nathaniel and Diane Freeman.  My wonderful parents

     When I was a young kid, I really thought my dad was a superhero. We were visiting my Uncle Ray and his family. They lived on Logan Avenue in Mingo Junction, Ohio at that time. Those of you who are familiar with the area know that Logan Avenue is a steep hill that leads into Ohio Route 7.
      
     I was 5 years old when my cousins, Chauntel and Kim, ask me if I wanted to ride a “Big Wheel” down this hill.  Being “the man”, that I was at 5, I wasn’t going to allow my two older girl cousins show me up so I agreed.  So we walked to the top of their block on the Logan Ave. hill.  Being the gentleman that I was I of course let them go first.  The truth is I was scared to death and had no idea what I was doing. 
   
      Someone yelled, “Go!”  Stupid me thought it was a race and started pedaling as fast as I could until I realized that the momentum of the hill caused the pedals to travel faster than my small feet and legs could keep up.   There was a pit in my stomach that told me that this was about to be a disaster.  I heard my cousins yelled, “Pick your feet up!”  I did what they said and it seemed to help for the moment. 

     My next thought was, “how do I stop this thing?”  By this time we were nearing the end of the block, I was intently listening for more instructions.  There was nothing but the rush of plastic wheels rolling down this hill.  I glanced behind me and no one was there!  What?  They had turned at the intersection.  I did not know this.  I was now headed toward the highway!


      Out of the corner of my eye, I would have sworn I saw a ninja.  I quickly turned my attention back to the road in front of me.  I crossed the street and the Big Wheel hit the corner sewer and went flipping over a fence.  I went flying in the air and was stopped when my chin hit a curb.  I don’t know how long I was out, but when I woke up I was in my father’s arms.

     My father, like a well-trained ninja, had jumped from a second story balcony.  What would have taken most people twenty strides only took my dad three to get to me.  I want to celebrate Nathaniel Freeman, Sr.   I believe during this time of uncertainty and despair in our communities and neighborhoods that guys like my dad need to be recognized and celebrated.

     My father always provided for us.  He worked 43 years for the same employer.  I never knew or heard him call off from work just because he didn’t feel like going to work that day or that he had a headache.  He has been married to my mom for 42 years and counting.  I saw my dad; while my Grandmother was in extended care, go to the hospital nearly everyday for nearly ten years.    When I was on home dialysis and we would come in to visit, he would have the 50 lbs. treatment bags unloaded before I could get out of the car.    This was with a bad back and needing knee replacement surgery.  And the S that is on my dad’s chest is for Steubenville Big Red.  Any given Friday night in the fall you will see him at the stadium volunteering.  
    
      There are so many other things I could write but I just want to say I think that if we celebrated more people like my dad, the world would be a better place.  Happy Father’s day and Thank You!

What does it mean to "Weather the Storm?"

 

 We were driving on Interstate 70 heading east back to Steubenville, Ohio. On the way we couldn’t help but notice the huge “Golden Arches” sign pointing to the closest chain of fast food restaurants. It reminded me that we are for “signs and wonders”. God wants to put us on display, but our job is to point the arrow to him.

Characteristics of the Sign 

 The sign is on a solid foundation.
     
The sign wasn’t hurled into the ground like a javelin; rather an area was cleared and dug out. Then some type of concrete was poured. The sign is not only secured by the concrete, but also once the concrete sets the sign is further secured to the foundation by being bolted. When God is about to put you on display, He has to first clear some areas in your life. He has to replace the unstable ground with a firm ground. There are some deep things that God has to “dig” out of our lives so that we can be set on a solid foundation. 


 The sign stands out. 


 The sign is placed higher than most things around it. You can see the sign from miles around. The sign is unique to the company it represents. All this time you thought that being different from everyone else was negative. God wants to utilize your uniqueness. Only you can be you. Stop trying to be someone else and allow yourself to stand out so that He can get the glory. 

The sign is a light in darkness. 

 When it becomes dark outside the sign lights up, because it is connected to a power source. When Lucifer was cast out of Heaven down to the earth, this world became cursed. The Bible tells us that he came to kill, steal, and destroy. Jesus is the light of the world and He came to give us life and life more abundantly. Jesus is the world’s redemption. There is darkness in this world, but when we set ourselves on a solid foundation (the Word) and are connected to a power source (the Holy Spirit), we will shine light as the sign in the darkness of this world.

 The sign is made of durable material. 


 The sign is made of steel and set on concrete, so that it can weather the storm. You are made in the image of God, in His likeness. You have the DNA to weather the storms of life. The same spirit that raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you. That is why you can’t quit. You were made to weather the storm. Unless that sign falls down, it is pointing people where to get food. When the rain and the winds come your way, you are “Still Standing” pointing people to where they can be fed.

Is It Soup Yet?

     As I walk through the front door on a cool summer evening, the thought runs through my mind, “my wife bought a scented chicken noodle soup candle or we are having soup!” Much to my delight the latter was true. I hurriedly make my way to the pot on the stove, when the inevitable words slap me like a wet noodle, “It’s not soup, yet!”
   
 I begin to reason in my own mind, “It smells like soup, it boils in the pot like soup and all the ingredients I like in soup are there. Why can’t I taste the soup?” It’s like women have this superpower to hear unspoken words, because my wife interrupts my thought by saying, “It takes time for the soup to be just the way you like it.”
   
      What a novel thought in our instant society. I am reminded that the Bible tells us that it takes faith and patience to inherit the promises of God. Often times we mistake delay for denial. We think that when we pray and it doesn’t happen in our time frame then God didn’t answer our prayer. Nothing could be further from the truth. Trey, our 16-year-old son, put it this way, “God answers prayer three ways; yes, not right now or I have something better for you.”

      God hears our prayers the moment we pray. The Bible tells us “Now, faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen.” We have our answer now, regardless of what we experience. The notion we have to fight against is our willingness to accept less than what God has for us. We want it right now. I could have had right now, instant soup, or had a bowl of not quite ready yet soup, instead my patience awarded me with Kate’s delicious homemade chicken noodle soup. Don’t give up on God and accept anything less than a God-made miracle. Sit back and enjoy the process, knowing that what you are about to receive no one can take away from you. I know, I waited 38 years for my miracle; it was worth everyday of it.

Where To Get Help, When You Are Alone?

     The boys had already left to catch the bus for school that morning. I had exchanged hugs and kiss with my wife, Kate and had given her the proverbial pasted on smile to let her know that everything was good. Was it? Nothing could be further from the truth.
      It upset me that she had to go off to work, while we waited ten months for my income to start, as we burned through any savings or other money. I had always worked some type of job. How was this happening to me? I was supposed to be Regional Commissioner by now, not sitting waiting for the same organization while they delayed my income.
         I had been up all night as everything I ate in the previous 24 hours, did not want to stay in my stomach. I lay in bed tired. Not sleepy. I was tired of being sick, tired of being in the house all day, tired of fighting disease and sickness. I was too tired to go to sleep. Lying frustrated, I began to have “one of those” conversations with God. “Why this?” and “Why that?” You know the kind of conversation that is one-sided because God never seems to answer our stupidity.
      I finally mustarded up the strength to walk downstairs and I grabbed my Bible. I had watched all the TV that I ever wanted to watch in my life. And No, I wasn’t interested in hearing another preacher ask me to buy his book and give me his greatest revelation. I wanted to get into the Book for myself.
      Tears began to roll down my face as I read the book of Job. And then it hit me. God was not allowing me to face this situation because He hated me or was mad at me the devil was permitted access to my life, because God was proud of me and actually trusted me. I knew from that day forward that this sickness was not unto death, but that somebody somewhere would hear my story, just as I read Job’s story and be encouraged. Thirty-eight years with a chronic illness, blindness and kidney failure all erased and I am here Still Standing.

Photo Source:© Pakhnyushchyy | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos

Don't Quit!!!

If you ever feel like quitting, or you don't think you can make it, watch this inspirational video.

How to Win, When it Seems Like You Should Lose

How to Win, When it Seems Like You Should Lose

      Growing up in Steubenville, Ohio football isn’t a hobby; it’s literally a way of life.  The high school, better known by its nickname “Big Red” has one of the premiere high school football programs in the nation.  Almost every week Big Red faces an opponent who is bigger, has more star players or is faster.  However more often than not Big Red walks off the field with a win.  How is this possible?  On paper other teams have the advantage, but what we need to realize is that the real battle starts right between our two ears, in our head.  When I was in 7^th grade I was introduced to a concept called PMA.  No, it’s not a typo.  PMA is an acronym that means “Positive Mental Attitude”.  We were taught in Middle School that we could win and not lose.  Regardless of our opponent and what other people thought about us, we could win. We never lost a game, in 7^th or 8^th grade.  At Big Red on the varsity level we only lost 1 regular season game and played in the State Playoff Championship Game back to back our junior and senior year.  Pretty impressive when our leading tailback was a questionable 5 foot 6 inches.

     If this principle can apply on a football field, why couldn’t it work on the field called life?  We’ve got good news it can!  And how do we know?  I am living proof.  Below are “The Five Smooth Stones to Slay Any Giant in Your Life” These are the same principles I stood on while facing kidney failure and blindness.

1. We must …read the Word – Stop listening to what everybody else has to say about your condition or situation and find out what God has to say.  Unless your Aunt Minnie works for a cell phone provider, you would not take your cell phone to her if it stopped working.  You would take the phone back to the one who made it.  Why not do the same with God? He made you.
2. We must…renew Our Mind with the Word – We need to think about ourselves the way God thinks about us.  We need to silence the voices of our past.  We need not concentrate on those who told us we would never make it.  God so loved the world that He gave His only son.  He loves us and wants nothing more than to fix us and make us whole.
3. We must…speak the Word – We need to stop rehearsing our defeat.  Never once during our winning seasons did we walk around saying woe is us.   Look at how much bigger they are then us.  We did not ignore their strengths, but we found ways to exploit the other teams weakness.  A winner comes out confident because they have prepared.  We are reading the word and renewing our mind on the word.  Now we can start speaking what we know.  Let the weak “SAY” that they are strong.  We are more than conquerors. 
4. We must…Pray the Word - Once we study the word, it is clear that we don’t have to guess anymore, whether or not God wants to heal us.   I can’t speak for anyone else, but my sickness was not unto death.  That belief was challenged on more than one occasion, but I am here to tell you God wants to make you whole.  The fact that you are in the situation you are in is evidence that God has a plan to bless you.
5. We must…live the Word - We can’t just pick and choose the scriptures we want to live by.  We can’t walk around quoting “By His Stripes I am healed” and then turn around and knowingly curse our neighbors.  I am not the sin =police, but take the whole word and apply it to your life and you’ll be blessed.

Why Me?

     Sitting in a cold hospital pre-op room with nothing on but a hospital gown, blanket and shower cap, I sat there ready for the routine procedure.  The nurse had just drawn my blood and the entourage of medical staff had already asked their questions.  I was ready…so I thought.  

     I still sat there wondering why I was there.  This routine procedure was usually conducted in the doctor’s office.  I had tubes placed in my ears before, but never this.  I wondered if I didn’t have good insurance would I even be here.   Things were taking longer than before.  This surgery was not my first rodeo.  I had five surgeries before this and three of those were eye surgeries.  What was taking so long?

     At that moment a team of doctors rushed in and it was as if time stood still, as one of the doctors told my wife Kate and I, “We can not do the surgery, your kidney’s are failing.” I couldn’t tell you what the doctor said next, because one thousand thoughts ran through my mind.  There one thing I couldn’t let go of was…”Why me?”

     Regardless of the situations we may face in life, we may have asked ourselves this question a time or two.  Why me?  What did I do to deserve this?  Was I being punished for a sin I was already forgiven of?  Did God hate me?  Here are three things I learned that help me through this situation:

1. God is a good God.  Even though I have made mistakes in my life, His response to those mistakes is grace and not judgment.  Jesus said he came to give us life, and life more abundantly. Satan comes seeks to steal, kill and destroy.  People ask all the time, “If God is such a good God, why do so many bad things happen?”  The answer is simple we live in a cursed world, the minute Lucifer was cast out of Heaven to this earth, it’s been cursed.  That is why when Jesus Christ returns He will establish a new heaven and new earth.
2. God trusts us.  God trusts us to go through what we are facing.  Two times in the Bible Satan asks for permission into someone’s life.  In the Old Testament it was Job and in the New Testament it was Peter.   Both times he was allowed access, but he could not take their lives.  The good news is that our sickness does not have to be unto death.  The situations we face are not meant to kill us but to make us stronger.  Weakness is replaced with strength and meekness replaces pride. 
3. God still answers prayer.  Delay is not denial.  There isn’t a payer that God doesn’t hear and answer.  When Daniel prayed, the archangel Gabriel told him, God heard him the moment he prayed.  However, the demonic prince of Persia delayed Gabriel.  When Daniel began to fast the warrior angel Michael was sent to assist Gabriel to bring Daniel’s answer to prayer.  Who are our angels working for today?  Don’t give up your answer is on it’s way.

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