Look: It's a Bird, It's a Plane...It's Superman: What to do after tragedy hits---
Right after I lost my spouse to a sudden death, there is just something I noticed about the clouds. It sort of reminds me of when I was a child lying on the grass with my neighbor boy and we were trying to guess what animal the clouds looked like.
When I left work, about 2 l/2 weeks later, the whole sky was lit up in orange over work, and there was a peace in my heart -- it was like "everything is gong to be okay." At times in life, I don't have that divine assurance that everything is going to be okay, like I had that day. I like going boating on the lake because the clouds I noticed in the sky over the lake are so beautiful. Whenever I see a rainbow it's the same thing.
I was talking to a man recently who was telling me that his father who was a believer passed away suddenly from an incurable blood disease. His whole family prayed, but they still lost him. I told him the same thing happened to my neighbor across the street. Her husband was very healthy at 60 years old, and then had flu-like symptoms and her spouse died in three days in the hospital to a blood disease. He said he also found out he was border line diabetic and he was talking about how his sister was having a hard time getting a job in this economy in South Bend. He said they are both having trouble with believing in the goodness of God.
I was listening to this man talk on television how he was in a tornado that hit his home. He plays for the Jacksonville Jaguars football team. He said that he could not "hold on" to his girlfriend tight enough. The tornado picked the whole house up and the five of them in a closet and threw them in fields and he survived after several broken bones, but his girlfriend died of a broken neck. He said that even if he would have broken into his neighbor's house who was not home, and got in their basement, the house collapsed into the basement so they would have not been better off going next door to their neighbor's home.
I completely understand because I find it's very hard to hold on to several of my loved ones in life I had to let go to cancer and other deaths.
I was thinking about all this tragedy in life and I went into Target and I was asking where their Pharmacy was to fill a prescription for my daughter and the clerk showed me that it's directly in the middle of the store and if I just "looked up" I would have seen the big "Pharmacy" letters in red.
It's because I'm looking directly on the Horizon (my line of sight) in front of me. Lot's wife looked behind her -- she did not have faith that God could bring her into a better city. Abraham was trusting God for an eternal city so he and his son continued to live in tents.
By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise; for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. Hebrews 11:9-10
They made a movie called "Silver Bells" on the Hallmark Channel and it's about trying to get people to look up more at the wonderful architect in the city and the silver bells were over the door of a church, but no one ever looked up and noticed them but a boy photographer.
To really get through this life in tragedy, we have to start "looking up" and not at life and how everything in life is temporary, it's not eternal. Jesus said that "heaven and earth will pass away" --- it's going to happen but his words are eternal.
Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear. Matthew 24:25
We are told when things start getting worse on this earth we are to look up.
Then they will see THE SON OF MAN COMING IN A CLOUD with power and great glory. "But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near. Luke 21:27-28
Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. Colossians 3:1-3
Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Hebrews 12:1-3
No comments:
Post a Comment