Rocked by Tragedy but Surrounded by Blessings

     Our little community was rocked by tragedy this past weekend as three young lives were taken in a traffic accident.  Even now, my heart aches for all three families because I know what it is to lose family members.  During a ten year period, I lost both sets of grandparents, my thirty-nine year old aunt and my father who was only 63.  It was tough to face funerals and funeral homes after that painful time.  Then in 2014, the Lord called our six year old grandson to Himself, and I remember the shock of all our family in this sudden loss.  Yet, in spite of all the brokenness we felt, underneath it all was the Everlasting Arms of the Lord Jesus Christ that saw us through.  I confess, I do not understand why things happen the way they do, or why the Lord calls some home when He does.  It is not always for us to know this side of heaven.  However, it is what we decide to do with our pain of loss that can make a big difference in our lives and the lives of others.

     When news came out about the tragic accident, our community came together in a prayer vigil to lift up the families.  A man in our community streamed the event so that others could watch who were not able to attend.  Others rose up to form meal trains for a family and even "Go Fund Me" pages to assist with all the expenses.  Then, a high school  prayer vigil was held for students who knew these young people.  At times like these, we see the love of Christ working to bring comfort to hurting hearts.  The Bible tells us that we are to "Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep (Romans 12:15).  As we do this, God brings about blessings in the middle of pain.

     One of the first and greatest blessings to come from this is the gift of life.  Wanting to be an organ donor, Lindsay Sapp saved the lives of six other people and ultimately will touch the lives of 35 others.  She has been a blessing to those who desperately needed help to go on living.  Even as she gained heaven's crown, she gave to those in need.

     A second blessing has been watching so many become the hands and feet of Jesus Christ as they have reached out to minister to the heartbroken families.  Coming together in community to pray, raising funds for expenses and providing meals are all tangible ways to show love and comfort.

     Finally, we do not know how many lives will be changed by what has happened.  When tragedy strikes, we are all confronted with the certainty of death.  No one is promised tomorrow.  We have today as a gift from God, and we must consider where our future home will be.  Hebrews 9:27 tells us:  "And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,...."  Each one of us will face our appointment with death; so will we spend it living in the light of God's glory or will we forever live in separation from God in Hell?  Tragedies like we have witnessed in our small community makes us all think about that seriously, and my prayer is that many will come to Christ as they consider their future residence.

     My mother, God rest her soul, closed many letters and cards to me throughout her life with a blessing that comes from Numbers 6:24-26.  I prayerfully am passing this on to the families who lost their loved ones and to our community as well as to those who have also recently lost loved ones.  "The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace."  If anyone reading this does not know Christ, today is the day of salvation.  Tomorrow is not promised.  Selah!

Unrealistic Expectations

     Having positive expectations is a good thing as long as we are not unrealistic in our outlook.  This was true for me when I approached knee surgery.  In January 2020, I had a partial replacement of my left knee.  Rehab was a challenge but manageable.  However, some months later, it became clear that I would need a full replacement to deal with issues I was having.  So in November of 2020, I had another surgery to remedy these problems.  Rehab was a breeze.  I seemed to recover very quickly.  Knowing I would need my right knee replaced, we planned on surgery at the end of March 2021.  I expected the quick recovery I had with the left knee.  However things do not always go as planned.

     In reality, the right knee rehab has been more painful and has taken longer than I expected. 
Of course, I based my expectations on my previous experience, but this sometimes leads to disappointment.  Proverbs 13:12 reminds us:  "Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but desire fulfilled is a tree of life."  When we put our hope in anything other than the Lord, we can find ourselves discouraged.  I admit that I have felt that way as I have gone through rehab.  Why am I not progressing as fast as I did before?  What's wrong with me?  As I would lament, my dear husband would remind me that I had been through three major surgeries in a little over a year.  Sometimes, we don't bounce back like we did when we were younger, and every surgery is a little bit different.  Most importantly, God is in control. 

     Funny how we succumb to the notion that things will always turn out the same, but life is filled with changes.  The only constant is our Lord Jesus Christ who is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8).  We often place a lot of our hope on past experiences so we expect certain outcomes.  For example, we may get married expecting our spouse to be a great cook like our mother or father.  When it doesn't turn out that way, we can become critical of our partner because they have not met our expectations forgetting that we may have disappointed them too in some area.  The point is that we must place our hope in Christ not on particular outcomes.

     What we often forget is that God's timing is perfect in all things.  His ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts.  Yet, God is mindful of us and knows our desires even before we pray about them.  This was proven to me over and over when we wanted to have children. I had difficulty getting pregnant, and we underwent many tests.  In due time, God heard our prayers and blessed us with four children.  His timetable was different from ours, but His plan was always to bring us good as Jeremiah 29:11 reminds us:  "For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope."   

     Yesterday at physical therapy, I had a very good report on the progress I was making with my slow but steady right knee.  How I thanked God for that positive news!  Unrealistic expectations had tried to make me feel discouraged, but God reminded me that, in Him, we have hope for each new day.  May our prayer for each day be that of Proverbs 3:5-6:  "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight."  Place your hope in Him and you will not be disappointed!  Selah!

Common Sense, Critical Thinking and Jesus

     Over this past weekend while gathered for a family wedding, There was ample time to discuss the many issues that seem to be dividing segments of our nation as well as Christians.  Topics like face masks, vaccinations and lockdowns were on the top of the list.  Instead of extending grace to others with a different mindset in the various examples we discussed, people name called, accused and shamed others.  In short, they were doing exactly what they say they hated to see in "cancel culture" not realizing their response to someone who disagreed with them was the same type of response they say they despised.  How easy it is for us to fall in the trap of reacting based on feelings or emotions that ebb and flow rather than using common sense and critical thinking skills even as our Lord Jesus Christ did on numerous occasions.

     One of my long time favorite verses in God's Word comes from Isaiah 55:8-9:  "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways, declares the Lord.  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts higher than your thoughts."  God's ability to reason is far above ours, but we are called to use the mind he has given us.  Living on emotions is the equivalent of a roller coaster ride. We react to others rather than reason with them even as God has called us to do.  Isaiah 1:18a declares:  "Come now and let us reason together, says the Lord..."

     When we look at many encounters Paul had with those in Synagogues and towns where he traveled, he took time to reason with others using evidence found in Scripture to the truth of Jesus Christ as Messiah.  Acts 17:2 says, "And according to Paul’s custom, he went to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures..."  Then in Acts 18:4, we read: "And he was reasoning in the synagogue every Sabbath and trying to persuade Jews and Greeks."  The Apostle used common sense examples, critical thinking skills to persuade, not coerce, others for the hope that was within him.  Jesus Christ has called us to do the same.  We are to be the salt and light in this world in order to share the Good News.

      Certainly having discussions about the state of our nation, economy, or any other topic can be a good thing if done with mutual respect.  However, we all know how easy it is to be sidetracked by the cares of this world.  Paul writes this in Colossians 2:8:  "See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ."  Our citizenship is in heaven if we are a Christian, and the Enemy of our Soul would love nothing better than to help us forget our final destination.  Instead, Satan would have us worry, fight and stew over side issues in this world so that we become divided.  This way he can render us ineffective.  Jesus warned His disciples about this in Matthew 24:24:  "For false Christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect."  So what, then, is the answer in this contentious age?

     First, remember that when presented with information do some research on it.  Do not accept at face value everything that we read or hear, but we must look at several sources.  This is part of the critical thinking process.  Knowing God's Word is one way we can evaluate the things we are confronted with.  The Bereans checked out everything Paul preached according to the Scriptures to see if it was so.  Even in secular matters, we need to do the same.

     Secondly, pray about issues before speaking out on them.  We must seek God's wisdom on matters of health, safety and the well being of our families.  Quickly jumping to conclusions based on emotions or because the neighbor down the street had an article in favor of an issue may lead to consequences we do not like.  My father used to say, "If all of your friends decided to jump off a cliff, would you go do it too?"  In other words, use common sense and seek the Lord.  He is the author of life, and desires to give wisdom to all who ask.

     Finally, we all must remember that God is sovereign over all the affairs of men.  He puts leaders in power and takes them out for His plan and purpose.  We may not like it, but we must trust His goodness, His mercy and His care for us.  He has promised to never leave us or forsake us.  We also know that there will come a day of judgement when God will give us a new heaven and a new earth where justice reigns supreme.  This world and all that it offers will soon pass away, but God's Word will stand forever.  Therefore my friends, let us not get caught up in bunny trails, conspiracy theories, or worry over the future.  Instead, let us cling to the truth of God's Word and deal with one another in love, grace and kindness.  We must not get sidetracked but keep our eyes on the goal of God's high calling on our lives.  When we do get into discussions, may we all remember to do so with humility, common sense, critical thinking and the love of Jesus Christ.  This is the kind of conversation that will attract others and point them to Christ whether we win the argument or not.  Selah!