A Tribute to Dr. James Dobson
I was sitting at my desk editing a blog post yesterday when I saw the social media post that Dr. James Dobson had passed into eternity. I realized I had been anticipating news of that nature since Dr. John MacArthur’s passing earlier this summer. As we witnessed the fall of one mighty oak, it was freshly apparent that we were in danger of losing others as well.
Dr. Dobson’s impact upon my life is immeasurable in its magnitude. I first became acquainted with his work as a young farm girl. Christian radio was our frequent companion as we went about our kitchen duties in our farmhouse kitchen, and if the signal was strong on a particular evening, we could sometimes hear Dr. James Dobson as he spoke on topics of marriage and family—topics of keen interest to me even as a young girl.
Because of our remote location, the radio signal often wafted to us or away from us, depending on the wind direction, it seemed, and it was a special treat to hear even a portion of Dr. Dobson’s talks from a Christian conference. I recall standing stock still beside the kitchen counter, leaning in toward the weak, crackling radio signal, trying hard to hear what he was saying and why the audience was laughing. It was a glimpse into another world, where Christian people attended conferences, while others sang and spoke, as the audience laughed and applauded. It was in those days that I heard of the fledgling ministry, Focus on the Family.
As I progressed through school and college, Focus on the Family became the standard-bearer for marriage and family ministry, and Dr. James Dobson was a household name; every respectable Christian radio station carried the daily broadcast. By this time, I was a faithful listener and had easy access to the broadcasts that seemed always out of reach on the crackly signal from our kitchen radio.
I was pregnant with my twin boys, Matthew and Luke, when Bringing Up Boys was released. I immediately got a copy and read it at least twice before passing it on to my husband. As I am the youngest of four girls, I had no direct interaction with boys and found them fascinating, yet bewildering creatures. Bringing Up Boys helped me understand the world of men and boys as much as a woman can, and work toward becoming a godly mother of the boys He was weaving within me.
Our boys were born six weeks early via urgent C-section, and both boys were in NICU for an extended stay. Luke was tiny, but otherwise robust and healthy. Matthew struggled, and it quickly became apparent that there were deeper concerns with his development. The depth of Matthew’s developmental struggles became increasingly apparent as he struggled to meet basic milestones. Our fears were confirmed by a pediatrician who specialized in developmental disabilities; Matthew had severe developmental disabilities that would affect his life and ours in significant ways.
As I had done since I was a farm girl, I was always listening to the solid Bible teaching on Christian radio. I found faithful friends in the teachers and preachers who spoke truth and wisdom into my days and nights heavily weighted with caregiving. The work of caregiving was isolating and exhausting, but my “pastor friends” on the radio made life doable. Truth poured into my kitchen from the kitchen radio, and I soaked my weary, broken soul in that healing stream.
Dr. Dobson and Focus on the Family became my daily companions in my mundane world, laden with the demands of caregiving. As I tried to make sense of Matthew’s special needs in the light of Scripture and my Christian upbringing, I came across Dr. Dobson’s book, When God Doesn’t Make Sense. I identified. I read it, nodding knowingly through my tears. I listened intently on my kitchen radio each time there was a broadcast on the topic, swiping away tears on my shirt sleeve. Dr. Dobson’s book underscored the truth of God’s sovereignty and helped me rest in His overarching plans when they made no sense to me.
Matthew’s special needs were certainly costly for both Matthew and our family. Due to his developmental issues, medical complications, and his seizure disorder, Matthew passed at the age of twelve.
Yesterday, as I sat here at my desk, and the news of Dr. Dobson’s passing flashed into my newsfeed, in my mind’s eye, I was immediately back in that farmhouse listening to Dr. Dobson through the crackly signal on the kitchen radio. My mind then fast-forwarded to another kitchen where the light of truth streamed in, once again, through Christian radio. There, Focus on the Family and Dr. Dobson brought daily hope and encouragement to my faltering, weary soul. My mind flashed to the well-worn copy of When God Doesn’t Make Sense and the solid truth that assured me I was on the right path, and I could rest in God’s sovereignty.
Now, here we stand, commemorating the life of another of God’s faithful servants who has gone home to his reward. I, like others, join the throng of mourners who each have a story of how this humble, faithful man touched their lives with his teaching and prolific writings.
Yes, a massive pillar has fallen in our world, but because Dr. Dobson invested His life in teaching and bringing up generations that would follow him, there are now godly men and women strong enough to shoulder the load.
So, thank you, Dr. James Dobson, for a godly life well-lived. Thank you for being faithful to the calling God placed upon you. Thank you for the impact you made in our world—for the marriages, families, and children you impacted. Thank you for Bringing Up Boys and When God Doesn’t Make Sense, and thank you for coming to me with faithful teaching and encouragement through my kitchen radio. What a life; what a legacy of faithful service.
Paula Romang is the author of her newly released memoir Thriving in the Barren Place: How Trust in God Fueled My Journey Through Heartache and Loss, and shares her writing on her website: www.paularomang.com