The Jeff Cavins Show (Your Catholic Bible Study Podcast) - "I Love You, Jack”

Episode Date: April 28, 2023

We all experience setbacks in our lives, and sometimes, those moments can be very lonely. Today, Jeff Cavins shares his own story and the stories of others to help us understand the love that God the Father has for each one of us and how he is always present to us. Snippet from the Show No matter what you’ve been through, God will never give up on you. Email us with comments or questions at [e-mail]. Text “jeffcavins” to 33-777 to subscribe and get Jeff’s shownotes delivered straight to your email! Or visit ascensionpress.com/thejeffcavinsshow for full shownotes!

Welcome to the Jeff Kaven Show, where we talk about the Bible, discipleship, and evangelization, putting it all together in living as activated disciples. This is show 321. I love you, Jack. Welcome to the show again. Well, every once in a while you hear something, you see something that just sort of to stops you in your tracks. And something happened to me this last week, something I heard, something I saw that stopped

me right in my tracks and really hit me in the heart. And I knew that at that point, I needed to share this with you because it's timely and it probably will apply to many. And I do hope it applies to you in some way, at some level. I want to start off by, before we get into this at all, if you do want the scriptures that I'm going to be sharing with you today, which I have, I probably have seven or eight of them, if you do want those scriptures and you are not in a place where you can write them down right now, all you got to do is remember my name, Jeff Kaven's one word, and then text my name to the number 3377, and then we'll get that to you. That's 3377. And we'll get to you those notes. And this week, there's some dozies. There's some really, really good ones. Well, I do hope that you are doing well and that you are experiencing the love of Jesus and you are experiencing the joy that comes from following him as a disciple, the intrigue, and just the

adventure of being a disciple of Jesus. When I have my classes now at the seminary and other places that I'm teaching. I'm just in the habit now of starting off and asking them, as I told you last week, did you get a chance to share with anybody? Did you get a chance to pray with anybody? I'm just saying that so that people know that I'm going to ask it and we need to be aware of that. Maybe life right now isn't real joyful for you. Maybe something happened this week in your family or at work or in your marriage with your kids that that really sets you back. And then every once in a while, something happens in your life that really sets you back and is life altering. And maybe you've been through that at some point when

you were growing up or in college or in your young business career or at home, you experience something like that. And those are tough times, aren't they? They are. Well, if you're in a terrible place right now, you know, in your life or something has happened. I want to communicate one thing to you that can really make all the difference in the world. And maybe something big hasn't happened to you recently, but you know of somebody or you're going to know of somebody this week. This can become very, very helpful. And just mark the show if you want to share it with other people as a as a word of hope, as a word of love, then please share the show with those who may be going through a very traumatic time in their life. And I want to share this with you,

and that is this. God is your father. He is your father, and he loves you, and he's not going to leave you, and he's not going to forsake you. No matter what you are facing right now, he is faithful to the end and he will not veer he will not waver he will not give up on you in whatever it is that you've gone through and it can feel like the worst thing ever so were you ever caught growing up like caught doing something that you shouldn't have been doing well i did i got caught several times growing up and I got myself into trouble. I've never been arrested or in jail or anything like that, but I did get in trouble and I had some problems with the police growing up. I remember one time, me and my friends were out driving around and guys in the car had been

drinking. We were in high school. They had been drinking and we pulled over on the side of the road and a cop pulled up right behind us. And he got out and came over to the car and, he asked us all to get out of the car and stand in front of it. And one by one, he asked for license and ID, and we gave him our license, gave him the ID. And he said, stand here for just a second. He went back to his patrol car. And I'm assuming he called us in to check us out. And he asked him, the driver, you've been drinking. And the driver said no. And actually the driver had not. The rest in the car had. And so he ended up giving the license back and he just kind of gave us a warning of, you know, remember no drinking. You're all underage and that type of thing.

Well, that night I went home and I knew how to get into the house. I always tried to get into the house without my dad knowing, you know, because sometimes I would get in late. I didn't want to get in trouble and get grounded or, you know, I couldn't have the car for a week. or something like that. And so I went into the house and I would walk up the stairs to my room. I knew which of the parts of the stairs squeaked so I could walk over them.

And I got to the top of the stairs and I hear my, I had to go by my parents' bedroom. My room was on the opposite side of the upstairs, but the stairs was right in the middle. So I think they heard me. And my dad kind of yells out. It was probably midnight, one in the morning. He says, Bob.

He called me Bub. didn't call me Jeff. I said, yeah? Come on in here. I thought, oh, man, I must be in trouble. So I went in there, and I stood there, and he said, what were you doing on the side of County Road 5? I said, what?

He said, well, what were you doing on the side of County Road 5 over there? About 11 o'clock. I said, what, nothing? And then he said to me, listen, next time you guys are out, make sure there's no drinking when the police pull you over. And I'm thinking, how does he know all this? And then I looked over and I saw something that I never recognized before. And that was my dad had a police scanner. And he was listening while my name went across the airwaves as someone who was being checked out. Now, there I was potentially in trouble, and I could have been in some

very serious trouble. My father was over, he was watching over me at that point. I didn't even have a clue about it. I had my share of getting into trouble, as I said, and I can remember one time when I got into some big trouble, and it was with the police, and the police actually came to my house, and they ended up leaving, and my dad looked at me, and I'll never forget what he said.

I didn't get in trouble for drugs or anything like that, but I was with a group of guys, and the police want to check these things out. saw, I'm leaving in a mystery, aren't I? So my dad looks at me and he says, I'll never forget it. He looks right at me and he says, as a policeman is driving off, he said, Jeff, we're a family. We'll get through this. Now, those words made all the difference at that moment in my life. I was probably 16 years old. They made all the difference in my life. And it was like the fear had left me. when my father looked at me and said we're a family we'll get through this and we did and so i i thank my

dad very much you know for for being that kind of a father he's 87 right now and uh and we're all taking care of him and my mom and uh you know i have these times when i think back about my dad and all the things that he did so forth you know a father's compassion i love i love what psalm says in Psalm 103. It'll be in the notes. As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. For he knows our frame. He remembers that we are dust. As for man, his days are like grass. He flourishes like a flower of the field, for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more. But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him and his righteousness to children's

children. Isn't that powerful? A father shows compassion to his children. So the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. That's you. Whatever you are facing in your life right now, know this. A father, the father who loves you is going to show compassion to you. And you might be going through a tough time. Or you know of someone who is, but the father will be compassionate. that he knows your frame. He remembers that we're dust. And I love what Paul said in 2 Corinthians. He's talking about God and how God says, and I will be a father to you. I'll be a father to you. And you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord. And then in Exodus, another one, then you shall say to Pharaoh, thus says the Lord Israel is my firstborn son.

So you see, all throughout salvation history, God has been known as the Father and the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He's a father. Now, every once in a while, you hear or see something that hits you deeply. And I first heard about this from our Deacon. Deacon Larry in his church the other day. And then I saw it on TV. And as I saw it, I thought to myself, I have to share this with you because it's one of the examples that I have seen about a father's love like like I haven't seen before. Now, I'm not saying that this was right or any justification for what happened in the news,

but I did notice something, and I think you would be interested. And if you are in a tough situation, it would be nice to hear. On April 13th, the FBI arrested Jack Tashira, a 21-year-old member of the U.S. Air National Guard. And they arrested him over the leaks, leaking information, highly classified information online. different documents, and it was an embarrassment to Washington, and it was an embarrassment to our allies, and it went worldwide, a 21-year-old Air National Guardsman, somehow, some way, got a hold of these documents, made a very poor decision, a life-altering decision, a decision that was plain dumb, and his life will change, and it will change for years, because of it.

of the decision there. And no doubt this young Jack Douglas Tashira is panicked. He's alone. He's petrified. He is mortified. He is anxious. He is depressed. He is feeling foolish. He is everything together all at once and times at times maybe 10. No doubt sitting in his cell. Well, the appearance at the federal courthouse came after the FBI took to Shira into custody at his North Dayton, Massachusetts home. And when he was in his hearing, you could hear the father of Jack shout during the hearing. I love you, Jack. Jack responded, I love you, Dad. Now, I know that this crime was horrific.

I know that what this did for national security, you know, as much as I can know. But in the midst of one of the worst times in our country's history, as far as, you know, details and secrets and documents and so forth. And certainly the worst thing in Jack Tashir's life, to be sure, in his family, to be sure, in the midst of it, the world watching this. we heard a father he wanted his son to know i love you i'm here he didn't shame him you know he didn't curse him he didn't mock him he didn't blame him publicly he did what a father does and he yelled out i love you i'm here i love you too dad so a father stands with his children and enters into the pain with them. God is not like a father.

God is father. And as we talk about God, as we study about God, and as we write books about God and podcasts and movies and everything else, we can't forget the fact that God is father, not like one, not similar, doesn't act like one, doesn't speak like one. He is father. and in the midst of your most embarrassing moments, in the midst of your most shameful moments,

hear the message, I love you, I'm here, I love you. And hearing that can change everything. It can change absolutely everything. And maybe you know of somebody who's in that situation right now. And some people, they want to escape it with everything they've got. They would want everything to end because they feel like they've made that huge mistake. But in the midst of it, with all the cameras going and all the videos being taken and all the reporters around and people yelling things, what I heard was his father.

And that really hit me. And I thought to myself, man, I got to share that with you. You know, when David wanted to build God a beautiful home, I remember so well those words in Second Samuel 7. God said, to David, I'll be a father to him and he'll be a son to me. When he does wrong, I'll discipline him in the usual ways, the pitfalls and obstacles of this mortal life. But I'll never remove my gracious love from him. You're listening to The Jeff Kaven Show. Hi, my name's Father Mike Schmitz.

I am the host of the Catechism in the year podcast. If you've been following along with us, you know that God's plan for us is a plan of sheer goodness, that he wants to bring us into a relationship with him. You know that already. One of the ways that God actually brings us into this relationship and keeps us, sustains us in this relationship, is through the sacraments. Again, you might know that already. You might further know that so many of us,

was miss out on the beauty and the power of the sacraments. But, Ascension has an answer to this. Ascension has created two new programs. One is called Renewed, Your Journey Towards First Reconciliation. The second is, received your journey towards First Holy Communion. We know that our youth, they're our future. And yet at the same time, it's so hard oftentimes to reach them with this incredible news of God's love for them in reconciliation, God's love for them in the Eucharist.

If you want to check out, Ascension's new program, Renewed, Your Journey, towards First Reconciliation and received your journey towards First Communion, go to ascensionpress.com and sign up for a free preview. Welcome back, and we're talking today about a father's love, and we're listening in on this hearing of Jack Tehira and listening to his father, yell, I love you, and the response from Jack, I love you too, I love you too, and I want to wonder, you know, when we go through these tough times in our life and we hear that God loves

us, do we yell back, I love you too? Do we respond to the love of God? Or do we take it in as just, well, it's a theoretical thing or it's something someone's saying or it's something they read in a book? Or do we take it for what it really is and that God really does love me? And I should respond to that. And our response to God's love, the catechism says, is faithfulness. and that is that we don't just respond with word, we respond in word indeed. And so we respond to the love of God by walking in his word and loving as he loves. That's the right way to do that. But the Bible is just filled with scriptures about the love of God, and especially when sons and daughters are in trouble. And they've made an ass of themselves, and they've made a mess out of their

lives. You know, everybody knows the story in Luke 15 of the prodigal son. I mean, this guy's got two kids and the one is a real brat. And he's a real tough kid. He's a tough son to have. And he says to his dad, basically, he says, drop dead. I want my inheritance now. I don't want to wait to you die. And so when you ask for your inheritance when your father is still alive, you're saying drop dead. You're as good as dead to me. I want the money. And so his father gives him his inheritance. And we spoke about inheritance, you know, last week. But he gives him the inheritance.

And what does he do? He goes away to another country and he lives a life of debauchery. He wastes what he has on loose living and drinking and all kinds of things. And he finally kind of comes to the end of his rope, the son does. And it's the young son. He's got an older brother back home acting like a son for the most part. And when this younger son comes to his senses, he turns around and says, you know what, I've been eating the pig's food.

I could eat better back in my father's house. I had it so much better in my father's house. I thought if I could get away and it could get the money, I'd live my life, and I could leave it all behind. But he couldn't. And he fell apart. And when he came to his senses, he started to return to his father and listen to this. We see the same thing that we heard in that hearing with,

Jack, to Shira, but while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him. He ran to his son. He threw his arms around him, kissed him. One of the video shots that I saw of that, that scared kid who made a huge mistake, I saw his father, running quickly next to him, trying to stay up with them as they were taking him away and letting him know, I love you. Couldn't help but think of the prodigal son, you know? And John said in 1st John 3-1, see what great love the father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God, and that is what we are.

It's such an intense love. It's such a deep compassion and never-ending love. It's just beautiful. I'm reminded of Matthew 18. It says, what do you think if a man owns a hundred sheep and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the 99 on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about the one sheep than about the 99 that did not wander off. In the same way, your father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish. That's pretty powerful. Very, very powerful. His love is sacrificial. His love is present.

it's patient God's love is forgiving, kind God's love is faithful, it is selfless God's love is steadfast and it doesn't change at all

and in the midst of chaos in your life and the craziness that can happen it's the one thing that will not change when you cling to your father when you cling to your father it's not going to change. It's not going to change. And I love that. I really do. And I've been there before, you know, where I felt so exposed and out there. I remember Sunday, this last Sunday, we were listening to the music in Mass. And I think it's the chorus of the song. I'm not real

musical. But, oh, I am when I'm alone. But it was talking about. God's reckless love. God's reckless love. Have you heard that song? When we go to Israel every year, a lot of times we take Ali Alia, the singer with us, and she sings that song and mass for us, and it just really, you know, gets me.

When I hear that phrase, God's reckless love. And that's what it is. You know, it's just like totally, abandon. And I love the words to that song, Reckless Love. You know, before I spoke a word, you were singing over me. Anyway, you have been so, so good to me. Before I took a breath, you breathed your life in me. You have been so kind to me. It's the problem with tears as you can't read very well. It goes on, oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God. Oh, it chases me down. Fights till I'm found, leaves the 99. And I couldn't earn it. I don't deserve it. Still, you give

yourself away. Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God. That is powerful. Very, very powerful. So whatever you are facing, however you're feeling right now, abandoned, know this, God loves you so much that he gave his only begotten son that whoever believes in him would not perish but have everlasting life. Allow God to love you today. My friend, allow him to be the father that he is to you. And hear him yell, I love. you the name of the father and the son and the holy spirit lord jesus thank you for showing us the father we thank you for showing us his steadfast love and faithfulness in the midst of the chaos in people's lives right now lord i pray that you will be that that steadfast love that they're looking for and that they need i pray for those who are listening right now and maybe somebody shared podcast with them. I pray that you would grab a hold of them with your arms around them and not let them go to let them know that they are loved. They are the one that you left the 99 for. And you found,

and you are the one. You are the object. You are the one that God abandoned everything else just to come after you with his reckless love. I thank you, Lord, for showing them that you love them with that reckless love in Jesus name amen name of the father and the son and the holy spirit thanks for sharing with me this time this week and I just needed to share that with you I felt like somebody needs to know that God loves you we'll see you next week