Could the tides be changing?

I find myself often asking the question, “Where have all the patriarchs gone?”

A quick definition of the word patriarch is: the head or leader of a household. But when you look up the true definition, you quickly see it also carries a strong spiritual aspect. Every definition refers to this- the fathers of Christianity found in the Bible’s genealogies. Therefore, common practice refers to patriarchs as not only the head of the household, but also the spiritual leader of the family.

So, my question, where have all the patriarchs gone, is a rather sad question to ask. Every day I see too many families broken, hurting, alone, isolated, and sinful. Fathers and husbands giving up on their families, not raising their children to know God, and walking the path of the world as opposed to the path of the Light.

Truth is, my generation is one of the first to be “unchurched”. Many of my friends and acquaintances have never been a part of a church community, never raised by parents who knew and taught about the way God works and His love for sinners like us. So how can I expect them to know how to spiritually lead their family?

BUT…

God has shown me recently, as I’ve pondered this question, that the tides may be changing, and to put my hope there.

My husband was not raised by an example of a father who led his family spiritually or any other way, yet he leads our home well- better than well. He faithfully tries his best to walk with Jesus. He looked to his grandparents and to God to know how to be a good husband and father.

God has also pointed out eight (EIGHT!) single men (off the top of my head!) in my relatively small church who come to worship EVERY Sunday morning, most with Bibles in hand. They are not attending for show. They are not attending because their wife or significant other “makes” them. They are there to grow and to worship God. They are there to sacrifice some time in their week to our Holy God. Their motives are pure.

I also have had numerous conversations with girlfriends lately who have excitedly told me stories of their husbands “coming around”- becoming more open to God and church, looking to Him for answers, and worshiping Him.

And I just heard a statistic stating the divorce rate has gone down for the second year in a row!

Are the tides changing?

I think they may be. I think revival is coming. I think my daughter’s future looks strong.

My upcoming book, Safe Harbor, is a love story and its hero is a strong, Godly man. He has a troubled, stained past like all of us do, but he has given it to God and changed his world around to make God the center of it. Making the male character in my romance this way was very intentional. I wanted my daughter to read a story where the guy is a spiritual leader- a soon-to-be patriarch for his one-day family. I wanted her to imagine a world where this is possible for her.

BUT now, God has shown me it is…

The patriarchs are rising. The time is now.