(Click here for a video of John reading this Catch.)
One of my favorite writers passed away yesterday at 96. Frederick Buechner was the author of 30 books all of which championed in some way the themes we have adopted here at the Catch around connecting life to faith. Real life to real faith.
His inspiration for writing came from one sentence spoken by the pastor of a church he was attending as a young man because he had nothing better to do on a Sunday. The statement that struck him was, “Christ is crowned in the hearts of those who love him and believe in him amidst confession and tears and great laughter.” It was the laughter part that caught Buechner’s attention and later found expression in his writing especially through my favorite book of his, Telling the Truth: The Gospel as Tragedy, Comedy and Fairy Tale. That same pastor, who became a fan of Buechner’s writing once said when he heard he was considering the ministry, “It would be a shame to lose a good novelist for a mediocre preacher.”
Well, Frederick Buechner went on to become both a good novelist and a good preacher. When asked how he would sum up everything he had written and preached about, his answer was simply, “Listen to your life.” Surely, one of the most powerful ways God speaks to people is through what happens to them. Thus the importance of everyone’s story. How has God spoken to you through your life? What has He said? Think about your life. How has He said it?
God is speaking to me right now through Chandler. I’m getting just pieces of it but I’m trying to listen. I am why we have Chandler. Marti definitely wanted this adoption but she left it up to me. I could have said no. But when I met his birth mother and saw Chandler in her womb, I knew he was ours. There was no doubt. I can’t say I’ve always been so sure since, but that’s just because I haven’t been paying attention. So now I must listen to my life to find out what God is saying to me. And that means listening to Chandler. All along I’ve been thinking about what I’m supposed to be telling him. Now I’ve got to realize what he’s telling me. A big part of listening to my life (and thus listening to God) is going to be through listening to Chandler.
How about you? What can you find out about God by listening to your life?
John Fischer The Catch 
Your message is powerful especially when you talk about Chandler whether before he came to you all and then after. We have all heard for a long time the right to take a life before its born. I know their are bad situations where it seems like the right answer. I wish more people would read that passage about Chandler before birth and after birth. My hope is that more folks would think about how precious is life. Thanks again for this powerful message.