Mid-Week Message - Texas Tragedy

"The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit."  Psalm 34:18 (NIV)

"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.  Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging."  Psalm 46:1-3 (NIV)

"He will wipe every tear from their eyes.  There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."  Revelation 21:4 (NIV)

There are no words that can ever express the sorrow that so many are experiencing after the devastating floods in Texas this week.  The loss of life, especially young lives, strikes the core of the human heart.  At this writing the news media is saying over one hundred loved ones are confirmed to be no longer with us and dozens are still missing.  While we pray for the miracle of finding more alive, and the Lord is absolutely able to work that miracle, our own common sense tells us that it is unlikely at this point.  

So how do we come to terms with this tragedy and how can we support those whose lives have been forever altered?  

This traumatic event will impact the survivors for the rest of their lives.  Aside from the physical needs of food, shelter and clothing, they will need loving arms to hold them and strong shoulders to cry on.  They will need to tell their stories to those willing to listen.  There is no way to answer the "whys" that will be asked but we can each be present and understanding.  

The very first thing I learned when I became a chaplain is that words are not always needed, or even wanted.  The calming presence of someone who truly cares means so much more.  Continually lifting them up in prayer and asking for God's comfort and compassion is something we can all do.  This is a road that He, and He alone, is able to guide them down.  Love them.  Help where you can with what you can then trust that our Father is ministering in holy ways that we know not of.

In the days, months and years ahead there will be much work to be done to rebuild the physical structures that have been damaged or destroyed.  Human hearts, though forever affected, will heal over time.  This is pain that never goes away.  One just learns how to live with it and continue on until life on this earth is over.  

I have shared three verses from the Scriptures today in hopes that at least one gives hope to each reader.  As my own tears fall over this event, I am reminded that no tear goes unnoticed, no heart-cry is ignored and at no time is our Creator unaware of anyone's pain.  May we all cling to Him and plead for these families before His mighty throne.  

     

 

Mid-Week Message - A Story of Tragedy

 "I lift up my eyes to the mountains - where does my help come from?  My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth."  Psalm 121:1-2  (NIV)

I recently saw the story of a fifteen year old girl who ran away from home.  She had crossed the state line and had been gone a couple of days when she realized she hated being alone and decided to return.  She had been hitchhiking and at one point had met up with two others who were also thumbing for a ride.  At this point a van with an older man pulled up.  Although the vehicle appeared to be empty, he said he only had room for one and offered a ride to the teenager.  Those with her warned her not to accept his offer, but she was so ready to get back home that she ignored their advice thinking that the man looked like a kindly grandfather.  

After falling asleep for short time, the girl woke and noticed that the signage was wrong.  The man was not going in the direction he promised.  When she asked him about it, he told her he had taken an alternate route.  She became leery and decided she needed to get away.  When the van pulled over for a short stop, she got out and bent over to tie her shoe so she could run away.  However, the "kindly grandfather" hit her in the head with a sledge hammer.  When she came to she found that she was tied up.  I won't go into all that happened in the van except to say that she was begging to be set free.  Finally, he pulled over, and said to her, "Okay, I'll set you free."  Then he took an axe, chopped off both of her arms and threw her over a cliff.

 Thankfully, this isn't the end of the story.  Somehow this young lady was smart enough to stick what was left of her arms down in the dirt to help stop the bleeding.  She then found the strength to climb back up the thirty foot cliff to the highway where she could get help.  A newlywed couple found her, called for help, and a helicopter took her to the hospital.  

Why would I choose this story?  Because she knew that she could not have survived alone.  Although she encountered evil and endured the unthinkable, she credited the Lord for giving her aid.  As in today's verse, she lifted her eyes to the top of the hill before her and knew that without arms, the only way she could get to the highway was if she had His help.  And He was there to cheer her on, to give her the boost she needed to get where she could be rescued.  

We have an ever-present enemy that works hard to dissuade us from believing that our Savior truly cares what happens to us.  He will lie.  He will whisper in our ears that if God truly cared then bad things wouldn't happen to us.  But that isn't true.  Horrible things still happen because of sin and because He gave us free will.  That doesn't mean the He doesn't love us.  That means we all need the saving blood of Jesus.  

I know that I am writing what will be read by many who have encountered tragedy.  I am so sorry for what you have had to overcome.  I pray that you did, you do and you will turn to the Lord for strength and comfort.  His hands are mighty and His promises are true.  

The young lady is now grown, married and has children.  Though she wears prosthetics on both arms, she was not defeated.  She now shares her story with young people to encourage them to find another way through their problems other than running away.  God took the tragedy of  her life and allowed it to bloom into a ministry.  And she is thankful.  God bless.  

Mid- Week Message - The Good News and the Bad News

 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."  John 3:16  (NIV)

So, do you want the good news or the bad news first?  Have you ever been asked that question?  Most of us have.  I don't know what your answer usually is but mine is always to have the bad news first so that I can end with the good news being uppermost in my mind.  And, my friend, there is some bad news for us all.  

There is a tragic situation in Afghanistan right now.  Thousands of Americans are stranded there, hoping and praying that our government will be able to bring them home before tensions get any worse.  The Christians there have been forced underground as they fear for their lives.  Some of those who have helped the United States during our twenty years there are saying they know they will be put to death if they are unable to escape.  

Here in our own country there are multiple fronts of bad news.  Murder and other violence in the cities is rising as our police departments are fighting just to be allowed to do the jobs they were hired to do.  Criminals have been set free from our jails and those arrested are often returned to the streets after only hours.  

There are mayors and governors being "recalled" as the citizenry of their states rebel against how they have governed.  In some states, homeless encampments line the streets accompanied by hygienic nightmares of defecation and needles used for injecting drugs.  

Our national elected officials seem more interested in lining their own pockets than in representing the people who elected them.  The decisions they are making are causing discord and their rhetoric is causing increasing anger and division.  

And, as if you haven't already heard, there is still a virus raging despite the preventative injections that almost half the nation doesn't trust.  As viruses do, it continues to mutate and we are being required to cover our faces when in public.  Even our young children are enduring the onus of wearing masks when they are in school.  

Add to all of this the hurricanes, tornadoes, fires and other natural disasters and we see more and more families struggling.  

And of course, diseases such as cancer and heart disease continue to take their toll.  

But, no matter how foreboding life seems at the moment, there is Good News.  This world, and all the difficulty and tragedy it holds, will not have the ultimate say.  Our Creator, before one of us came to be, had a plan in place to overcome all the hardship and sadness.  He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus, to live among us, take each of our sins upon Him on the cross, die a cruel death in punishment for those sins, then rise again on the third day, shattering the power of death and providing us full access to the Father.  Because of Jesus, we know that death reigns no more for those who repent and believe in Him.  

None of what we are seeing in this world is permanent.  If you have read the Bible then you know who wins the battle of good versus evil.  The enemy and his followers will be cast away, all pain shall cease.  There shall be no more wars, no violence, no addiction, no disease, no death.  We won't be sad ever again.  The tears will cease to fall from our eyes and will be replaced with joy beyond description as we live eternally in the presence of our Savior.  

Don't be fooled by what you see when you turn on the news.  This world will pass away and everything with it.  No matter how bad the news seems to be, the Good News crushes it in the end.  God bless.  

 

 

Remembering 9/11

Sixteen years ago today, America was savagely attacked by terrorists. Thousands died, but through it all, America came through it as one people. 

As we continue to watch, with horror, the aftermath of Harvey and Irma, let us not forgot this tragedy. Let us continue to remain vigilant and united as one nation under God.

Remember 9/11!

Mid-Week Message - Prayers Needed

"God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble.  Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though it's waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging."  Psalm 46:1-3

As I pondered over what to write this week, several things came to mind.  However, none seemed to carry the gravity of the needs of the people that are coping with tragedy and disaster.  

Hurricane Harvey left wide-spread destruction.  The city of Rockport, Texas was devastated.  The citizens there face having to totally rebuild not only their homes, but their entire city.  As the storm moved it left behind it a swath of ruin from either wind or flooding.  We know the city of Houston experienced historic flooding.  Some are still awaiting rescue.  A friend of mine in Orange, Texas was living with and caring for his father.  His father's house flooded and they had to be evacuated.  I can only imagine the trauma through reading the accounts of those living this nightmare.  

Now a new hurricane is bearing down on the state of Florida.  This category 5 storm is poised to be another historic destroyer.  Already I am receiving prayer requests from Puerto Rico and the surrounding islands, as well as friends in southern Florida that are doing their best to prepare as well as they can for what may take away all that they own.  

As we focus on these disasters, we hear of wildfires in Montana and Oregon.  The report yesterday from Montana was that there were 50 active fires that have already consumed hundreds of thousands of acres, which include homes, vegetation and animal life.  In Oregon, over 300,000 acres have burned thus far.  Smoke from these fires is making breathing hazardous for those unaffected by the actual flames.  News reports say that people are unable to leave their homes because of it.  

The United States is not the only area suffering.  The countries of India, Nepal and Bangladesh have also experienced tragic flooding. Over one thousand two hundred people have lost their lives there. Each day, in all parts of the world, people fight desperately to survive unbelievable circumstances. Here in the states, we hear the most about what happens here.  But we should not, cannot, forget the souls that are suffering in other places.  

We are not powerless!  We have the most powerful force of all available to us if we will only use it. We need to pray!  Ceaselessly pray!  The Lord created and loves each of us.  The color of our skin or the country we live in doesn't change that.  We are to carry the good news of Christ.  Maybe we can't go to Nepal, or even Houston, to help.  However, we can pray.  We can intercede for these precious ones.  In so doing, we express the love that has been lavished upon us as the children of God and we exercise the gift of our direct communication with Him.  

Please follow the news.  Know what is happening and how lives are being impacted.  Carry these needs before the Father.  Prayer has power and we will never understand how much power if we never use it.  I pray this week brings peace and safety.  God bless you. 

Mid-Week Message - A Lesson From Tragedy

There was a shooting in Clovis, New Mexico on Monday.  We've seen riots throughout the country. Monuments are being toppled because people have suddenly taken offense at their existence.  A person serving in Congress has said that our President needs to be killed.  Racial tension has ramped up to a level that I haven't seen since I was a child. Our law enforcement officials are being targeted. It seems no one is safe anymore no matter where they are.  

And then, amidst tremendous tragedy, we have Houston and south Texas showing us the way we need to live.  Even though they themselves have lost everything they own, citizens of these areas are out rescuing others without any concern over what race or nationality they are.  Lives are being risked to save lives.  This epic flood, though destructive, is highlighting the value of human life and bringing hope for the future.  As we position ourselves in front of the news to get constant information and as we unite in prayers of protection for the victims, we have a choice. If we can learn from these selfless hearts, pick up the mantel of love and carry this attitude into our own homes and communities, America can be what it once was - a country where we cared for each other above all.  Where individuals help each other rather than expecting a lofty government to decide what we need.  Where skin tone is only a color and plays no role in our ideas about the soul inside.  Where we understand that within each of us beats a heart that feels love, fear and pain and that we share more commonalities than differences.  

The civil war brought great separation, but the north and south came back together.  Families were reunited.  Life returned to a state of living in peace with each other.  Brothers shook hands and put their issues behind them.  That's what needs to be done once more.  We each have our own ideas about life and how this country should be run.  However, we need to remember the common good. Today's actions impact tomorrow and possibly have consequences that will destroy rather than heal. We have to choose what is most important, the welfare of our neighbor, rather than our own preferences.  Respect in the moment helps much more than activism for a future that may never come. Today may be the only day we have to be a blessing.    

May this week in your life see great grace from the Father above.  

1 Peter 3:8-12 ESV 

Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. For “Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit; let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

Prayers for the Survivors and Families of the Oklahoma City Bombing

Twenty-two years ago, Americans around the country witnessed the horrific scenes of a domestic terrorist attack in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. 168 lives were cut short when a bomb exploded outside the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building.

As we observe today's tragic anniversary, the scars of that day remind us that we need to always be vigilant and work with local law enforcement to prevent tragedies like this. 

Please pray for the families that lost loved ones and for the survivors who remember that day as if it happened yesterday. 

We should continue to pray for the men and women of law enforcement, fire departments, EMS and all public servants who regularly put their lives on the line for our safety.

We will always remember.

Psalm 34:18 New Living Translation (NLT)

18 The Lord is close to the brokenhearted;
    he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.