I have some favorite foods. You know, those foods that are always a “go to” when you want something really good to eat. Tacos are on that list. Especially the small “street tacos”. As Thanksgiving came around this past year I received a request to paint three House Portraits for the owner of one of the Rusty’s Tacos locations. The oil paintings were to be Christmas gifts for the owner’s (Joe) three sons.
I loved this idea, not only because the commission gave me some work before Christmas, but because it was an excellent gift idea for a man to honor and bless his three sons. The oil paintings, as does all original artwork, capture a moment in time. A part of the lives of families. Son’s and daughter’s-in-laws and grandchildren. A painting that in time will sort of take on a life of it’s own as the years pass and we all get older and eventually move on from this life. I really appreciate Joe for his show of love through these unique Christmas gifts.
If you live in the Plano area, or find yourself in Plano, stop by and say hi to Joe at Rusty’s Taco. His location is at 8000 Coit Road, Plano, Texas.
(972-244-4047)
One reason I really love what Joe did for his three sons is that what fathers do, does indeed matter. In a series of movies starring Tom Selleck as a small-town New England Police Chief, his character, Jesse Stone, makes a statement in several of the movies that is absolutely true. On more than one occasion as “Chief Stone” is solving crimes and issues in the small coastal town, he makes this statement: “Fathers are important”. As the saying goes…”truer words have never been spoken”.
Fathers are indeed important. The Bible talks a lot about the importance of fathers and the relationship with their children. One of the amazing things about the Bible is that it doesn’t “sugar-coat” the characters whose lives are recorded in its pages. You can read that some fathers in scripture were probably the worst fathers ever, while some were great fathers.
The good and bad fathers influenced their sons; some in good ways and some in bad ways. But you see the statement that “fathers are important “ ringing true throughout scripture.
In the last chapter of the Old Testament, the last two verses there is a sobering warning in relation to Fathers and their children.
“Look, I am sending you the prophet Elijah before the great and dreadful day of the LORD arrives. His preaching will turn the hearts of fathers to their children, and the hearts of children to their fathers. Otherwise I will come and strike the land with a curse.” Malachi 4:5 and 6
Fathers are important. This scripture is a warning about the negative effects on society when the father/children relationship is broken. It also says the land (society and culture) will be healed when this fundamental relationship if made right.
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that there is a “curse” on our land. Prisons are full of men who have broken relationships with their fathers, or they never knew their father at all. Not only in prison, in our cities, neighborhoods and pretty much everywhere in the United States, our society is broken, our families are broken, and our children are broken. We need fathers to step back into the game, to use a football analogy, get back on the field.
The awesome thing about the Gospel of Jesus Christ is that it is a gospel of reconciliation. First, when we believe the gospel and surrender to Christ as our Lord and Savior, we are reconciled to God the Father. We are no longer enemies of God but children of God. Then, once reconciled to the Father, we can then be reconciled on a horizontal plane. I.E. Fathers and sons, fathers and daughters, husbands and wives…. Basically fulfilling the greatest commandment- “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Hope you have a great New Year!
