A WORD FOR TODAY, July 11, 2025
Peggy Hoppes
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Blessings. Peg
A WORD FOR TODAY, July 11, 2025
“See how great a love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God! For this cause the world doesn’t know us, because it didn’t know him. Beloved, now we are children of God. It is not yet revealed what we will be; but we know that when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him just as he is. Everyone who has this hope set on him purifies himself, even as he is pure.” 1 John 3:1-3, WEB
Drew Barrymore was just nine years old when she starred in a film called “Irreconcilable Differences.” It was not her first film when it was released in 1984. She filmed more than twenty films before she turned twenty. It is not surprising since she comes from a family of notable performers that goes back to the 19th century. She had her first paid part in a dog commercial when she was just eleven months old. She admits that she struggled with substance abuse, went to rehab, and was institutionalized at thirteen because she was exposed to the pressures of fame at a very early age. Was this the life she wanted for herself or was she forced into the business? It was not necessarily the life that Drew wanted. Children are dependent on their parents for their early days, and sadly, parents do not always do what is the best for their children.
The movie “Irreconcilable Differences” was about a young girl who was the daughter of two famous people who were in the business (a novelist/screenwriter and producer). They spent too many hours away from home and barely knew their child. The housekeeper was much more like a mother to the girl. She decided to divorce her parents so that she could move in with the housekeeper and live a normal life with a parent who was willing to give her the love and attention she needed.
We might think this is just a problem with the rich and the famous, but it is a problem in many average families today. Many parents from humble households do not spend enough time with their children, leaving them to fend for themselves. This is not just about finding food to eat or clothes to wear. Many parents leave children to find their own beliefs and moral understanding. We live in a time when many families need two paychecks just to survive, so children are left in the care of daycare and then school. Even stay-at-home mothers can get caught up in life that they forget to spend time with their family. I confess that I did this when my children were young; I justified my work by claiming it was for the children, for their future. The parents in the movie thought they were doing their best, giving their daughter everything she could possibly want, but all she needed was time as a family.
This happens in every household to some degree, but I think it is more difficult for those in positions of authority or jobs that are in demand. Actors spend months away from home filming television shows or movies. Corporate executives fly all over the world to inspect their facilities or to cut deals. Entertainers spend night after night on the road going on tour from city to city to perform. Military members are sent around the world to serve. These parents do not see their children on a daily basis, often rushing the reunions as they prepare for another trip.
I have heard stories lately about stars who have made the conscious decision to leave their hectic world behind having realized that the hustle and bustle of their job leaves no room for raising their children. I saw an interview with Celine Dion. She talked about how difficult it was to be on the road so much. She decided to make a long-term commitment to sing at a casino so that she could spend her days with her daughter, while working only a few hours each evening. She said she just wanted to drive her daughter to school. She was more interested in her daughter than working hard to give her the things she did not really need.
The character Drew played in the movie did not feel like a daughter to her parents anymore. They were never around, they never listened to her problems, and they never saw her achievements. She didn’t want the big house and the best toys; she just wanted the love of the people who she loved. Sadly, there are people who feel that way about God, particularly at times when it seems like the world is falling apart around us. Where is God? Is He too busy to care about my problems?
God, our heavenly Father, is not like the parents in the movie. Even though He is the King of Eternity, the Creator of all things, He has time to take each of us by the hand, sit us on His lap and love each of us personally. He is with us through everything: the good and the bad, calm and the chaos. We, who are nothing more than specks compared to the wholeness of the universe in time and space, are called children of God. He is with us, transforming us into His image, manifesting Himself through our lives. As we grow in the hope of that which is to come, we are changed to become more and more like Him. He wants us all to be His children, for us all to look to His grace for our lives. This is why it is so important for us to constantly work on our faith and help others see God’s grace, beginning with our children, so that they will see that God is always near, that He is active in our world, and that He is always working to make all things right according to His good and perfect Word.
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