Dare to be a Daniel

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, 

as working for the Lord, not for men, 

since you know you will receive an inheritance from the Lord 

as a reward.  

It is the Lord Christ you are serving." 

Col. 3:23,24

For many months God had been weaving together a work of art.

It was a surprise awaiting completion until on this day, 19 years ago, we got to see what God had been up to-- a son, Tyler Scott. God wove him together on purpose, for a purpose.  Born in his grandparent's house on Thursday morning at six, he was wide awake and alert, checking out his world.

Inquisitive, even as a baby, he was always trying to figure out how things worked.  Today as I made a visit to his abandoned room, there are remains of electronic contraptions taken apart and lying around--leftovers of his search to know how things work.

In the first grade science fair, he wowed the judges with articulate explanations of the workings of gears and levers, winning first place.  Indeed, Thursday's child had far to go . . .

But little did I know then what distance he would travel into the workings of computers. Years later those aspirations brought home first place in computer 3-D animation for the state of Colorado and shortly after placed fourth in the nation.

Doing the right thing--being on the side of truth, was always forefront in his mind.  He never concerned himself with what people thought of him--staunch in his beliefs, he knows what he knows, truth is right, and that settles it.

In first grade this was brought to life the moment he stepped off the bus, on that first day of school.  Spotting a bully harassing a damsel in distress, he knew what needed to be done.  Donning his trusty backpack and bearing a lunchbox sword, he rescued that damsel in distress with swift and sudden courage because . . . it was the right thing to do.

The following year Tyler's Battle of the Books team won first place--appropriate, since reading has always been his forte.  Giving his life to Christ in those precious pre-school years, he had a hunger for the ultimate book, the Word of God.  How delighted he was to read it on his own, choosing Daniel as his first read.  He loved that book and what boy wouldn't?  Lions and kings and fires, oh my!  Courage, hardship, adventure, beasts, and wild things . . . most of all, people doing the right thing in the face of wrong.

Tyler did not always enjoy watching many popular childhood movies because he could not tolerate the characters doing the wrong thing.  He would run out of the room or hide under a blanket with his hands over his ears.  Right must prevail.  Having three little sisters he often tried to instruct them in the right direction as well, his knowledge not always appreciated as much as he enjoyed telling them what to do.  

But under that crisp shell was always a tender heart 

ready to give out affections.

In his quest for what was right, he was drawn to the book of Revelation, his next read, where justice and truth prevail over wrong, and Jesus triumphs over Satan.  Later he delighted in the Chronicles of Narnia and Lord of the Rings Trilogy. . . heroes conquering battles where evil is ultimately destroyed. The name Tyler means literally, tile maker or builder--reliable, honorable. His name fits him well as he is a builder in truth and can be counted on to hold fast to that truth, leading him to bear an honorable life.

building. . .

building. . . 

building . . . 

Now, 12 years later, he lives the book of Daniel in the realm of revelation.  On a university campus, the classroom is a lion's den, full of lions eager to devour all the teaching of his parents and church. The Babylon of his time seeks to indoctrinate him into their philosophies, making him a product of their land and culture.  But Daniel stood firm, supported by his three like minded friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and continued to pray three times a day as was his usual routine.

lions in our midst surpassed by The Lion of the tribe of Judah

"They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony;  they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death." (Rev. 12:11)  Tyler, keep your testimony sure and faithful-- it will overcome them.  Keep your heart in the blood of the Lamb, purified and empowered--it will hold fast.  Do not love your life so much as to shrink from what is right and true.  Shoot straight and directly at the target.  Do not waver even a hair's breadth, so that years from now the arrow will hit the bull's eye, right in place.

The bow has been pulled back and it is a made of good stock-- strong in the Word and Christian heritage.  You have been sent out in the right direction. Dare to be a Daniel.  Lead others in the way of truth so that one day they can say, "dare to be a Tyler". . . one who builds.  A builder, who lays one brick upon another, one concept on another, keeping the foundation stone in place. Jesus is our Rock, our chief cornerstone where all other stones are aligned and built upon.  You have this Rock.  Build on it wisely.  Dare to stand alone. Dare to have a purpose firm. Dare to make it known.

"Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, are sons born in one's youth. . . they will not be put to shame when they contend with their enemies in the gate."
(Psalm 127:4,5)

Happy Birthday Tyler!  Go with God and you will always go in the right way.