“Trust and Obey”
Besides the opportunity to be there on the anniversary of the Battle of New Orleans, I had two other goals when we went to the Hermitage last Thursday.
- I wanted Ray to get to be at that special place on that special day because Andrew Jackson is one of his favorite historical figures.
- I wanted to meet and talk to Dr. Mark Cheathem, a professor at Cumberland University who was leading one of the sessions held in honor of the occasion.
I recently wrote about how I ended up in college in the first place. I did not mention then the impact one of the professors at Cumberland had on me. This professor was still in his twenties when I came to Cumberland. He exuded cool (I gave up cool a long time ago, but, as you may recall, cool was very important to me back then).
Campus rumor was that he had a wealthy grandfather. The Porsche he drove gave credence to the rumor.
When our teacher leaned back in his professorial way and lectured us about history or politics or sociology, I drank it in. I took just about, if not every, course he taught at what was then a tiny school with a student body of four hundred plus. My high school American history teacher, my high school government teacher, this Cumberland College professor, and my parents who took my brother and me to historic places, all made me fascinated with social studies.
In 2008 I was at my computer one evening working on Elections in America (a curriculum we have now incorporated into Uncle Sam and You), when I learned that this beloved teacher had died. Of course, I was struck by the irony. Here I was doing something directly related to his influence when I learned that he was gone.
Ray and I attended the session led by Dr. Cheathem and were the first in line to talk to him when it was over. I had two things I wanted to say. I wanted someone at Cumberland to know how I use what I learned there and I wanted someone there to know how much I appreciate the professor who meant so much to me. I knew what I wanted to say to Dr. Cheathem, but I did not expect what I learned from him.
- Dr. Cheathem also went to Cumberland as an undergraduate student and was influenced by the same professor.
- Dr. Cheathem is a homeschool dad.
People have a profound effect on other people. Everything you do today in the lives of your children is important.
When we read about the life of Joseph in the book of Genesis, we get a peek at the relationship between decisions that people make and God working for our good. How these work together is a mystery to us mortals. The great God of the Universe gives us glimpses into His amazing plan, but we understand so little of it. What I know is this. God is trustworthy and He expects me to be faithful and to do what I can.
These thoughts remind me of the chorus of “Trust and Obey,” a song we sang at church often as I was growing up: “Trust and obey for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.” Yes, everything you do today in the lives of your children is important. You can trust God with what He does with it.
And we know that God causes all things to work together for good
to those who love God,
to those who are called according to His purpose.
Romans 8:28