Participants:
Series Code: IIWC
Program Code: IIWC202222S
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00:43 [MIKE] Welcome to It Is Written 00:44 Canada. 00:45 Thank you for joining us here 00:47 in the boys dorm at 00:48 Fountainview Academy in 00:49 beautiful British Columbia and 00:51 we are with our special guest, 00:54 Caleb Tam, who happens to be 00:55 one of the boys dorm deans and 00:57 he is prepared to share with us 01:00 his story about how tragedy 01:03 struck his life, probably the 01:05 worst thing that anyone could 01:07 ever possibly think of. 01:09 >> Caleb, we are really looking 01:11 forward to spending time with 01:12 you today. 01:13 Welcome to It Is Written 01:14 Canada. 01:15 >> Oh, thank you, it's a 01:17 honour to be here. 01:18 >> So, Caleb, I wanna start off 01:19 by asking you to kind of 01:21 introduce yourself to us. 01:23 What do you like to do? 01:25 [CALEB] I'm a huge fan of 01:26 the outdoors. 01:27 I grew up in the country and my 01:28 sister and I, we'd spend all our 01:30 time exploring different 01:34 ridges, climbing mountains, 01:35 hiking, mountain biking, 01:36 climbing trees, falling out 01:37 of trees... 01:39 One of our favourite things to 01:40 do is wait for a thunderstorm 01:41 and then we'd go, when it's 01:43 really windy, go to the top of 01:44 a tree and, you know, you get 01:45 blown around. 01:46 It's pretty exciting. 01:46 >> Oh, wow! 01:47 >> Probably wasn't the smartest 01:48 idea if there's lightning, but 01:50 yeah, I love the outdoors and 01:52 spending time in God's nature. 01:54 My mom was also music teacher 01:56 and as a result we had a lot of 01:57 music in our home and I've 02:00 always been really passionate 02:01 about music and I've really 02:02 enjoyed it. 02:03 I play piano, I sing, I play 02:05 trumpet and French horn as well 02:07 and it's something we like to 02:08 do as a family. 02:11 On top of that, I have a 02:12 passion for sharing God's 02:15 character and for sharing who 02:16 He is and what He's done for me 02:18 and I especially enjoy doing 02:20 that one-on-one with young 02:21 people and that's one of the 02:22 reasons why I'm here at 02:24 Fountainview Academy, to be 02:25 able to share what Christ has 02:26 done in my life with others and 02:29 so they can see a glimpse of who 02:31 He is and how much He loves 02:33 them individually. 02:34 God has shown His character and 02:36 His love to me in ways that 02:37 I've never seen before and I've 02:40 realized that one of the 02:42 biggest problems we have now 02:44 today is that we have 02:45 misperceptions of God's 02:47 character of who He is and how 02:48 He views us and as a result our 02:51 relationship with Him is based 02:53 on fear, based on, "Oh, I gotta 02:57 do this because then I'll earn 02:59 God's favour," instead of, "Oh, 03:01 this is how He sees me and 03:03 because of His love for me I 03:04 wanna love Him back with 03:05 everything I've got." 03:07 And, in fact, it was actually 03:09 as I was preparing a vespers 03:11 talk to talk about God's 03:13 character and the ways that we 03:15 don't understand it, that 03:16 someone mentioned the book, 03:18 Finding the Father by Herb 03:20 Montgomery to me and it's so 03:22 intrigued me that I actually, 03:23 right there, I got on Amazon 03:25 and I ordered it and that book 03:28 has given me so many new 03:29 insights into God's character 03:30 and how He views us that have 03:32 just blown my mind. 03:33 And as I've seen clearer and 03:37 still clearer pictures of who 03:38 He is and as the Bible has just 03:40 become so interesting as I see 03:43 things that I've never seen 03:44 before, passages that before I 03:45 found dry, it's like, "Oh, I 03:47 just gotta go through this and 03:48 get on with my day." 03:49 Now I see God's love for me 03:52 poured out in those stories and 03:53 how He views me and treasures 03:55 me as a son. 03:57 >> Caleb, tell us about 03:58 your family. 04:00 >> So I was actually born in 04:01 Langley which is in lower 04:03 mainland of British Columbia 04:04 and my dad is an electrical 04:06 engineer and my mom was music 04:08 teacher there at Fraser Valley 04:10 Adventist Academy. 04:11 And my sister was born a couple 04:13 years before I was. 04:14 Yeah and so our parents wanted 04:15 to give us every opportunity to 04:17 know God and to therefore raise 04:20 us in an environment that was 04:21 conducive to that and therefore 04:24 in 2004 when I was two, my 04:28 parents decided to leave my 04:32 dad's job with BC Hydro and my 04:34 mom had actually already quit 04:35 working so that way she could 04:36 be full time at home with us 04:38 and we moved out to Cranbrook 04:39 which is in southeast British 04:41 Columbia. 04:42 One of the reasons we moved to 04:43 the country was so that my 04:44 sister and I could be 04:46 homeschooled in a country 04:47 setting. 04:49 My mom actually never worked 04:50 again after my sister was born 04:53 and instead she was full time 04:55 at home with us and therefore 04:56 we, both my sister and I, 04:58 developed very close ties to 05:00 our mother. 05:01 You know, I think most people 05:02 growing up, they all have one 05:05 or two things in their minds 05:06 that are their greatest fears. 05:08 They're willing to face a lot 05:09 of stuff, but there's a couple 05:10 things that are just in the 05:12 "don't touch that" area, zone, 05:14 things that they're unwilling 05:16 to face that there's like, "No, 05:17 there's no way that's ever 05:18 gonna happen to me, I'm not 05:19 gonna let it." 05:20 My biggest fear was losing a 05:23 parent and I always just kinda 05:27 push it to the back of my head, 05:27 like, "You know you don't-- 05:28 that's not gonna happen, 05:30 not to me." 05:31 But then in 2018 my mom's 05:34 health actually began to 05:35 deteriorate and we were all 05:38 worried, like, "What's going on 05:40 here?" and it wasn't like my 05:42 mom was doing anything to cause 05:45 her health to get worse, in 05:46 fact she was probably the 05:48 healthiest, at least one of the 05:49 healthiest people I've 05:50 ever met. 05:51 She would go to the garden and 05:53 pick raw kale and spinach and 05:55 collard and stuff it in the 05:56 blender and take, like, a 05:57 little slice of apple and drop 05:58 it in there, whip it up and... 06:01 You know, to get that down you 06:02 gotta, like, plug your nose and 06:03 just swallow and to just get it 06:05 over with and eat something to 06:07 help the lovely flavours to 06:10 disintegrate quickly. 06:13 So, of course, in my mind it's 06:15 like, "Well, my mom's so 06:17 healthy, she's gonna get better 06:18 and besides, she's given her 06:20 everything to God, to-- 06:22 and for us. 06:23 Therefore, God'll protect her, 06:25 won't He? 06:26 I mean, He's not gonna let her 06:27 pass away." 06:28 And so I just entertained these 06:30 thoughts of unwillingness to 06:33 ever let anything happen, but 06:35 my mom's health actually began 06:37 to get worse and I remember, 06:39 one day in particular, I was 06:40 with my dad in town, I think we 06:42 were doing some mountain 06:43 biking, and just as we're 06:45 getting back in the car, my 06:46 dad's phone rings and it's Mom 06:48 and she's like, "I'm coming to 06:51 the hospital. 06:52 Something's up with my blood 06:53 sugar and it's just going 06:55 crazy, I need to get this 06:56 checked out." 06:57 And at this point, her health 06:59 had been declining for a couple 07:00 months already and I remember a 07:04 specific spot on the highway 07:05 where we were driving home with 07:06 Dad, so on Highway 3 between 07:08 Cranbrook and Wardner there and 07:11 my dad and I, for the first 07:13 time, talked about, "You know, 07:14 what if Mom doesn't make it?" 07:17 And that was the first time 07:18 that I really had to come face 07:19 to face with this fear that, 07:22 you know, maybe, this, my 07:24 biggest fear might actually 07:26 materialize and if that 07:27 happens, what am I gonna do? 07:28 Am I gonna allow that to just 07:30 crush me down or am I gonna 07:32 say, "No, I know that I can 07:35 trust God anyway." 07:37 And that was kind of the first 07:37 time this thought was 07:38 introduced to me and 07:40 it was really hard. 07:43 I was 15 at the time and having 07:45 your mom's life teetering isn't 07:48 the best thing at that age. 07:51 [MIKE] So, Caleb, did they have 07:53 any idea what she had? 07:56 What kind of sickness? 07:57 [CALEB] Not really, honestly. 07:58 I mean, it kinda started with 08:00 severe insomnia. 08:02 There'd be days when she 08:03 wouldn't sleep for several 08:05 nights in a row, like, at all 08:07 and that's, that just takes 08:09 it's toll on your body, right, 08:11 and on top of that she had lots 08:13 of blood sugar problems and 08:14 problems with her adrenals and 08:16 eventually we discovered that 08:18 Lyme disease was involved, but 08:20 that was further down the road 08:21 when we found that out. 08:23 But to this day we don't 08:25 entirely know what was going on. 08:27 [MIKE] So there was no cancer? 08:28 >> No, there was no cancer 08:29 involved and we spent thousands 08:32 of dollars and we travelled to 08:33 different places trying to at 08:35 least get a diagnosis so we can 08:37 have some idea what's going on, 08:38 but most things we tried, her 08:41 body would just reject them and 08:42 she'd feel horrible so we-- 08:46 Every door we'd try to walk 08:48 through, you know, to find some 08:49 answers, it'd just slam again 08:51 and again and again. 08:51 >> That's so frustrating, not 08:53 knowing, and she keeps getting 08:55 sicker and sicker. 08:56 So did she stay home? 08:58 >> Yeah, she was home for the 09:00 entire time. 09:01 >> Mm-hm. 09:02 And who was taking care of her? 09:03 >> So when she first began 09:06 getting sick, or I guess a few 09:07 months after she began getting 09:08 sick, my sister was taking a 09:11 one-year course at Selkirk 09:11 College in Castlegar so it was 09:13 my dad and I at home with my 09:15 mom for the first part of her 09:18 illness as she was getting 09:19 worse. 09:21 So we'd make her food and get 09:26 her whatever she needed and a 09:28 few months later down the road 09:31 as she was getting worse and 09:32 more emaciated and wasn't able 09:35 to do as much for herself, 09:36 there came a point where we 09:38 actually had a doorbell system 09:39 where she had-- my mom had 09:41 doorbell she could ring and it 09:42 would ring in our rooms in the 09:44 middle of the night and we'd 09:45 take shifts to go get her 09:47 whatever she needed because 09:48 with her blood sugar, she often 09:49 couldn't make it through the 09:50 night without getting something 09:51 small to eat even though 09:53 every time she ate it made her 09:54 feel worse. 09:55 She had no choice and therefore 09:58 we were basically providing 09:59 24/7 care for her, especially 10:03 later on as she became more 10:04 bed-ridden. 10:06 >> And then, Caleb, you decided 10:08 to come to Fountainview Academy 10:11 as a senior student here and so 10:15 it must have been so hard for 10:17 you to leave home at that time, 10:21 knowing that your mom was 10:22 so sick. 10:23 >> Yeah, for sure. 10:25 The door opened for me to come 10:27 here to Fountainview Academy. 10:28 The back of my mind all the 10:29 time is, like, "Well, you know, 10:30 my mom might not be around for 10:32 that much longer," and, of 10:33 course, as long as she's alive 10:36 there's hope that we can-- that 10:37 I could cling to and hang on to 10:39 that, yeah, God's gonna heal 10:40 her, just wait, just have faith. 10:43 And, of course, I'm always 10:45 clinging onto that, but at the 10:47 same time I realize 10:49 realistically that, "Well, she's 10:51 probably not gonna make it." 10:53 So, yeah, coming here to 10:54 Fountainview and having to 10:55 leave home with that in mind 10:57 was difficult and just the 11:00 mental strain going through all 11:02 this is tough. 11:04 >> How long, how long did the 11:05 sickness last? 11:06 >> So she began, her health 11:08 began to deteriorate in 11:09 probably around March of 2018 11:12 and by early 2019 she was 11:16 nearly bed-ridden and she 11:18 finally passed away in October 11:19 of 2019. 11:25 [RENÉ] So when was the last time 11:27 that you saw your mom then, 11:29 before she passed away? 11:31 >> When I went to-- when I came 11:32 here to Fountainview Academy I 11:36 came here with the realization, 11:37 the acknowledgement that, you 11:38 know, I might not be able to 11:40 see her again, but October, 11:42 beginning of October was fall 11:43 break and I remembered going 11:45 home and walking in the house 11:48 and seeing my mom there at, she 11:50 was probably, like, 90 pounds 11:52 at that point and she was frail 11:55 and it was really hard to see 11:56 her in that state. 11:58 She had always been worsening, 11:59 but it was always progressive 12:01 and then as soon as I left home 12:02 for a bit and I came back and 12:03 saw a difference, it was really 12:05 hard and I remember that time 12:09 actually I went up the hill 12:11 behind our house, we have a 12:12 little platform there that, in 12:14 a tree, that my dad built for 12:15 us when we were younger and I 12:16 remember, actually it was over 12:18 that break that, there was one 12:20 day that she just really wasn't 12:21 feeling well and... 12:23 And then she started throwing 12:24 up in response to something 12:26 that she ate probably and it 12:28 was, it just-- my sister and I 12:30 just couldn't take it, it just 12:31 ripped us apart and I ran up the 12:33 hill and I threw myself on the 12:35 ground and I just, I was just 12:36 in tears crying asking God, 12:37 "Why? Why are You letting 12:39 this happen? 12:40 Are You faithful, are You good, 12:42 are You who You say You are? 12:44 You've performed these miracles 12:45 in the Bible, why can't You do 12:46 it now?" 12:47 Then I sat on the platform, I 12:48 mentioned I was overlooking the 12:50 valley, beautiful day, and I 12:53 just looked up at God and I 12:54 told Him all the reasons why I 12:55 needed my mom. 12:56 I told Him that He couldn't 12:59 take her away because this and 13:01 that and the other. 13:03 Basically I was telling God 13:04 what He could and couldn't do, 13:05 what I was willing for Him to 13:07 do and what I wasn't willing 13:08 for Him to do and looking back, 13:11 it's pretty clear I wasn't 13:12 surrendering and, you know, 13:15 we're told that we have to 13:16 surrender all and that includes 13:21 the things that we hold, and 13:22 the people that we hold most 13:23 dear to us. 13:25 And I remember there as I was, 13:26 tears streaming down my face, 13:28 sitting on that platform, I 13:29 remember God speaking to me 13:30 saying, "Do you trust Me? 13:34 Do you trust Me enough?" 13:37 And up to this point I had 13:39 tried to surrender a few times, 13:41 but I remember that day 13:42 overlooking the valley that, it 13:44 just hit me that, you know, I 13:47 can't, even if I wanted to, 13:50 there's nothing I can do to 13:51 save her and if God can see the 13:55 end from the beginning and He 13:56 loves her and me more than 13:58 anyone else, the only thing I 14:00 could do was say, "Okay, fine. 14:02 I'm done fighting on my own. 14:04 I'll give her to You and I'll 14:07 trust that whatever outcome You 14:09 see best is the best because 14:12 You are love and because You 14:14 can have a purpose even in the 14:16 pain and maybe You can bring me 14:17 to a place and teach me about 14:18 You that I would not have been 14:22 able to reach otherwise without 14:24 going through this trial." 14:26 And I remember, as hard as it 14:29 was, I had peace, I had peace 14:31 that night, as hard as it was 14:33 to see my mom in that state and 14:35 I knew at the end of break when 14:37 I got on the airplane to come 14:38 back here to Fountainview that 14:40 I probably wouldn't see 14:41 her again. 14:42 The last time I spoke to my mom 14:43 was probably about two weeks 14:45 after break. 14:46 I remember calling home and 14:48 usually when I call home, my 14:49 dad would answer the phone 14:50 'cause my mom was pretty weak 14:51 and honestly answering the 14:52 phone and talking was, like, 14:54 all she could do at that point. 14:56 Usually I'd talk to my dad and 14:57 say, "How's Mom?" and it was 14:59 always, "Just a little worse," 15:00 you know, and that was hard. 15:02 And this one night in 15:03 particular, it was Sunday 15:04 night, October 20, 2019 and I 15:09 remember I called home and 15:11 instead of hearing my dad pick 15:12 up, my mom actually picked up 15:13 the phone and we only talked 15:15 for 5 or 10 seconds, that's 15:17 all, it's all she could do. 15:19 But I remember, she said, 15:20 "I love you," and those are 15:22 actually the last words that I 15:24 heard, that I heard from my mom. 15:26 The next day started as usual, 15:28 didn't think anything different 15:29 of the day and I remember I was 15:31 sitting in biology class that 15:32 afternoon, I had just given a 15:33 presentation, I just sat down 15:36 and there was a knock on 15:37 the door, a couple of my 15:38 classmates from a different 15:40 split, they said, "Caleb, you 15:42 got a phone call upstairs." 15:44 And I remember just then, it 15:45 just-- I just knew. 15:47 I just knew what was going on 15:49 and just, it just hit me and... 15:53 Just, I remember the mental 15:55 turmoil that was going on as I 15:56 went up the stairs to the 15:58 office to take that phone call 15:59 and it was my dad on the other 16:01 end and then I heard the 16:04 hardest words I ever heard in 16:05 my life and it was my own dad 16:07 saying, "Mom passed away this 16:09 morning," and it just 16:14 extinguished the little bit of 16:15 hope that I had left that I was 16:16 still hanging onto that maybe 16:18 God will heal her, maybe 16:20 something would happen, right? 16:22 >> So, Caleb, what was the 16:25 initial response then to your 16:27 mom's death at that time? 16:31 >> I think it forced me to 16:32 evaluate who I was as a person 16:34 and ultimately we all have to 16:37 answer the question, who am I, 16:39 what is my identity? 16:41 And when all the things that we 16:44 think characterize who we are, 16:46 when some of those are taken 16:47 away, for example, when my 16:49 identity as my mother's son is 16:51 taken away, what do I have left? 16:53 And the only thing that can't 16:54 be taken from us is our 16:56 identity as the children of 16:57 God, because of His love for 16:59 us, our identity as Christians, 17:00 and I remember having to face 17:02 that question, like, "Now what? 17:04 Am I still gonna believe and 17:06 trust and love God? 17:09 Or am I gonna cause this to 17:11 separate me from Him?" 17:12 And I really had to, at that 17:14 point, decide, you know, this 17:16 isn't my mom's religion 17:18 anymore, this is mine. 17:20 It's now that I have to 17:22 decide that... 17:24 ...God is my God. 17:27 There's a quote that someone 17:28 said once, "God doesn't have 17:30 grandkids," and I think that's 17:32 really deep if we think 17:33 about it. 17:34 We-- our relationship with God 17:35 can't be through someone else, 17:37 we have to know Him personally 17:38 for who He is and realize that 17:39 He knows us individually and... 17:44 I chose that I wasn't gonna let 17:46 go of God 'cause I needed Him 17:48 and I felt my need of Him like 17:50 never before and through that 17:51 time, He, the next few days, He 17:53 was there for me and I felt His 17:54 presence, like I never had 17:56 before. 17:57 I remember He was my strength, 17:59 He was my comfort, that that 18:01 afternoon, just a couple hours 18:02 later, I remember walking down 18:04 the hall of the school 18:05 building, I was singing Great 18:06 Is Thy Faithfulness... 18:18 >> So, Caleb, how did the Bible 18:20 help you in dealing with your 18:21 mother's death? 18:23 [CALEB] Well, the Bible is 18:24 essentially a love letter from 18:25 God to us, it's a depiction of 18:28 His character, of His thoughts 18:29 toward us and, therefore, I 18:31 found it to be a great solace, 18:32 great comfort to me 18:34 during that time. 18:35 I remember that evening I 18:36 opened my Bible to Isaiah 61 18:38 and verse 3, it says, speaking 18:41 of Jesus that the spirit of the 18:43 Lord God is upon Him... 18:54 And then it says why, "That He 18:55 might be glorified." 18:58 And that really spoke to me 18:59 that God has a purpose that 19:01 somehow through this pain, He 19:03 can be glorified and He can 19:04 turn these ashes into beauty, 19:08 He can turn my mourning into 19:09 joy, He can turn this spirit of 19:11 heaviness into praise and make 19:13 something beautiful out of it. 19:14 And one of my mom's favourite 19:16 verses actually, 2 Corinthians, 19:17 chapter 4, verse 17, it says... 19:28 Some day when I look back at 19:32 this life I've trod here below 19:34 and I've-- and I look at the 19:35 pain that I've gone through, 19:37 that I'll be able to look at my 19:39 Redeemer and the nail scars in 19:41 His hand and what He's done for 19:43 me and I'll be able to say, 19:44 "Thank you...thank You that You 19:47 allowed me to go through this, 19:48 that I could come to a better 19:49 understanding of You," and 19:51 ultimately going through this 19:54 has brought both me and my 19:55 sister so much closer to God 19:57 and if her sufferings were what 20:03 allowed my sister and I in the 20:05 end to be safe, she would have 20:07 gladly done it a thousand times 20:09 for us. 20:11 >> And, Caleb, your mom, even 20:13 though she was going through so 20:15 much pain and suffering, she 20:18 never let go of her faith 20:20 in God. 20:21 [CALEB] No. 20:21 >> She always held onto Him. 20:24 That must have been so 20:26 impactful for you. 20:28 [CALEB] Yeah. 20:30 Yeah, for sure. 20:30 I remember how much the Bible 20:33 meant to her in the last few 20:36 months of her life and it's 20:38 powerful that there'd be days 20:40 we'd be walking by and she'd 20:41 say, "Open my Bible and read to 20:44 me a verse." 20:45 And just the privilege that, I 20:47 wish I had done it more, but 20:48 the privilege that I had a few 20:49 times just to just open up to 20:51 some beautiful Psalm, some 20:53 promise of God, to sustain, to 20:54 give strength, that He-- the 20:56 promise of His love, His 20:58 faithfulness, to be able to 20:59 share that with my mom in her 21:01 darkest days is a blessing 21:03 to me. 21:04 >> So, Caleb, you are now a 21:06 dean here at Fountainview 21:07 Academy, how do you see God's 21:09 purpose being fulfilled in your 21:11 life right now? 21:14 >> I think as humanity and as 21:16 Christians we have a lot of 21:17 misconceptions, misperceptions 21:19 about God's character and how 21:21 He sees us. 21:23 I wanna do my part to share 21:26 with others who God is and to 21:28 use my own testimony, the 21:30 things that I've gone to 21:31 to say, "Look, I've lost my 21:32 mom, the worst thing I could 21:34 ever imagine, and yet I can 21:35 tell you that God is good and 21:36 God is faithful." 21:38 >> So, Caleb, you mentioned 21:40 that your family was very 21:42 musical. 21:43 Your mom was the music director 21:45 for an academy and I believe 21:49 that you wrote a song. 21:52 >> One of my passions is 21:53 song-writing and sharing with 21:56 others who God is through music 21:59 and so I wrote a song entitled 22:02 "I Chose To Trust" and it talks 22:04 about how even when we can't 22:06 see God's face, we can choose 22:08 to trust, knowing that He's in 22:09 control and through our tears, 22:11 through our broken pieces, 22:12 He'll put them together, He'll 22:13 put them back together and some 22:15 day, we'll look back and in our 22:18 broken pieces, we'll see His 22:19 face, we'll see how He was 22:21 leading us and then I tie that 22:23 into my own experience losing 22:25 my mom and how God's in control 22:28 and no matter what happens, 22:29 we're sheltered in His hands. 22:36 [gentle piano music] 22:39 ♪♪ 22:46 ♪ Father, if Your face 22:48 ♪ is lost in darkness 22:52 ♪ And Your tender voice ♪ 22:54 ♪ no longer I hear 22:59 ♪ If my cries echo off 23:02 ♪ the starry silence 23:06 ♪ But no answer I receive 23:09 ♪ and Your hand 23:10 ♪ remains unclear 23:14 ♪ If You deem it best 23:16 ♪ to take away my mama 23:20 ♪ And replace my fragile heart ♪ 23:24 ♪ with broken space ♪ 23:27 ♪ If You decide to nevermore ♪ 23:29 ♪ fulfill my longing 23:33 ♪ To look into her eyes 23:37 ♪ or feel her warm embrace 23:40 ♪ I choose to trust 23:43 ♪ the Rock that is 23:44 ♪ higher than high 23:47 ♪ To fill my empty heartache ♪ 23:50 ♪ to hear my silent cry 23:53 ♪ And even though my heart 23:56 ♪ in a thousand pieces lay 23:59 ♪ I rest assured that some day 24:03 ♪ when I trace this life 24:05 ♪ I've trod 24:06 ♪ That my shattered tears 24:08 ♪ they in pieces would reveal 24:12 ♪ the face of God 24:16 ♪♪ 24:22 ♪ Your perfect way 24:24 ♪ I cannot begin 24:26 ♪ to fathom 24:29 ♪ And salvation's grand design 24:32 ♪ I cannot see 24:35 ♪ But the shadow 24:38 ♪ of Your wings 24:39 ♪ remains my refuge 24:43 ♪ And my Father's 24:44 ♪ precious child 24:47 ♪ evermore I'll be 24:50 ♪ I choose to trust 24:53 ♪ the Rock that is 24:54 ♪ higher than high 24:58 ♪ To fill my empty heartache ♪ 25:01 ♪ To hear my silent cry 25:04 ♪ And even though my heart 25:07 ♪ in a thousand pieces lay 25:10 ♪ I rest assured that some day 25:13 ♪ when I trace this life 25:15 ♪ I've trod 25:17 ♪That my shattered tears 25:19 ♪ they in pieces would reveal 25:23 ♪ the face of God 25:28 ♪♪ 25:40 >> Caleb, thank you so much for 25:41 sharing that song and I wonder, 25:44 in conclusion, if you could 25:45 pray, pray for our viewers, 25:48 those who are watching this 25:50 program and are really touched 25:52 by your story as we have been. 25:54 Can you pray for us right now? 25:56 >> Absolutely. 25:56 Let's bow our heads. 25:58 Father, thank You that You are 26:00 love and thank You that You 26:02 choose to reveal that love to 26:04 us, Lord, in Your interactions 26:06 with us that You have proven 26:08 Yourself faithful time and time 26:09 again even when we don't 26:11 respond in the same way. 26:14 Lord, in Psalm chapter 50, 26:15 verse 21 You say... 26:19 Father, help us to not put You 26:21 in a human box, but instead to 26:24 realize that You're so much 26:25 higher than us, that You don't 26:26 respond and think and feel in 26:29 the same way that we do. 26:30 Therefore, Father, we wanna 26:31 trust You 'cause You can see 26:33 the end from the beginning and 26:34 You love us so much and we ask 26:36 all these things in Jesus' 26:37 name, amen. 26:38 [MIKE & RENÉ] Amen. 26:40 >> Thank you so much, Caleb, 26:42 for being willing to share your 26:44 story and how God has really 26:47 moved and is moving in your 26:49 life now here on It Is Written 26:51 Canada, thank you. 26:52 >> Oh, thank you. 26:53 It's been a pleasure. 26:57 >> Friends, as Caleb shared 26:59 with us, the book, Finding the 27:00 Father, changed his 27:02 understanding of God. 27:04 So our free offer for you is 27:07 that book, Finding the Father 27:09 by Herb Montgomery. 27:11 [MIKE] Finding the Father goes 27:12 straight to the root of several 27:14 moral dilemmas and sweeps aside 27:17 the misperceptions of God and 27:20 His character that often cause 27:22 us to reject the only one who 27:25 truly loves us. 27:29 Friends, we want you to 27:31 experience the truth that is 27:32 found in the words of Jesus 27:34 when He said, "It is written, 27:36 ‘Man shall not live by bread 27:38 alone, but by every word that 27:40 proceeds out of the mouth 27:42 of God.'" 27:44 [piano playing the tune 27:45 Great Is Thy Faithfulness] 27:47 ♪♪ |
Revised 2023-03-31