What To Remember When The Flames Close In...

Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all. Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all.

1 Chronicles 29:11-12

 

 

 

When I arrived home this evening I logged into my Facebook page and saw a link to a news article that talked about a fire at the church my uncle pastors in Mesa, Arizona. Reading the article, I was able to find out that no one was hurt in the fire, but that there was extensive damage.  This is an obviously devastating loss to my uncle and his congregation, and my heart goes out to them as I lift them up in prayer.  I reached out to my cousin to make sure everyone was alright, and I'll contact my uncle in a day or so, when the shock of the event has settled some. 

 

As I sat and absorbed the thought of the fire and the overwhelming stress that must be engulfing my uncle and his wife, my heart broke.  I grieve inside because of the anguish I know they must feel along with the faithful parishioners at their church.

 

And then one word came to mind.

 

Sovereignty.

 

If you've ever experienced a great loss, you will understand this next statement:  When you're in great distress, the last thing you want to hear is that God has a plan.  I know when my father died I became angry when people told me He had a purpose in my loss.  When you're nursing deep wounds, you don't much care what the ultimate purpose is.  You only know you're hurting.  Well-meaning people say things to us that, while true, often sound clichéd and trite.  To have someone say "all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose," can come across as callous and unfeeling.

 

And yet, the Word of the Lord stands true.  Regardless of the sensitivity and timing of people, the Word of the Lord stands true. 

 

As the years have gone by since my father's death, I've learned to differentiate the message from the messenger in situations like these.  I've learned that sometimes people simply want to feel helpful, so rather than remain silent, they speak the only words they can think of. 

 

So, as I was looking at photos of a fire that occurred today, some twelve hundred miles away, the word rang in my mind like a bell.  Sovereignty. 

 

You see, we've forgotten about sovereignty.  In our self-sufficient, Western culture, we hardly even understand the concept of sovereignty.  This crucial aspect of the very nature of the God we claim to serve is completely lost on us.  And, what little we do grasp of His sovereignty is often the object of our resentment.

 

Our culture teaches us that we must be self-sufficient, self-reliant, and self-important in order to be strong and at peace.  We're taught, even in churches sometimes, that we must fend for ourselves and rely on our intellect, strength, and common sense to navigate the storms of life.  If you're financially stable, emotionally balanced, and socially connected, you will have all the tools necessary to face any difficulty.

 

And then it happens.  Then the real difficulty hits.  Then the fire strikes.  Then a loved-one dies.  Then a major illness occurs.  And you're left to realize that all the social connection in the world is meaningless, all the financial stability upon which you once relied is gone, and your emotional stability lies crumbled at your feet.

 

As I watched the news footage of the Mesa fire today, I couldn't get the thought out of my mind that our Father is sovereign.  He answers to no one and His purposes are mysterious to us only because we often can't be trusted with the details.  He can do as He wishes, when He wishes, and for whatever purpose He chooses.

 

It sounds like a harsh truth.  One we don't want to hear.  But it shouldn't be.  It should come as a source of comfort!  Our God can do whatever He wishes!  He holds within His hand the power to create and to destroy.  He gives and He takes away.  He does so of His own accord and according to His own will.  He has chosen to never break a promise, and He's promised to carry us through our toughest times! Our God truly is magnificent and loving! 

 

As my uncle stands in the parking lot of the church he's pastored for the past fourteen years, the heavy scent of doused coals hanging thick in the air, I'm sure there are tears in his eyes.  I'm sure there's a deep ache in his heart.  I pray, though, that this same word will ring in his mind right now.

 

Sovereignty.

 

For, if we truly live in the faith we claim, we place our trust in a sovereign God.  He is faithful.  He is mighty.  He will never leave us, nor will He forsake us.  He always provides.  The God who was not created by anyone answers to no one.  Nothing can stop Him from accomplishing His will.

 

As my mind pictures Uncle David looking sadly upon the smoky debris of a burned out building, I picture a loving Father looking down, knowingly nodding. "I've got this all under control, son.  Trust in Me.  My love for you has never faltered and never will."

 

 

 

 

 

Please prayerfully consider contributing to this hurting congregation.

 

For those of you who have asked, there is now a PO Box address for financial donations regarding the church fire. If anyone would like to send in a financial donation/love gift of any amount (this would also be tax deductible) you can send it to the following: We appreciate your generosity, love and prayers during this difficult time.

NEW LIFE ASSEMBLY OF GOD
P.O. BOX 1325
MESA, AZ 85211

480-834-3312

www.mesanewlifeaog.org

 



Thank You. An Open Letter To My Wife

So... Memorial Day Weekend has come and gone.  On our Memorial Day we packed up the kids and took them to a park to play in the fountains.  As with, seemingly, any excursion into the wilds of American civilization, we saw far more adult female skin than we would have preferred.  Apparently, Midwestern girls are not all that I was led to believe as I grew up on the West Coast.  The phrase pure as the driven snow wasn't the image they seemed to be attempting to convey.

As I was guiding our little bundles of joy through the park, watching them playing in the water, and trying to continually bounce my eyes to skin-free scenery, a thought struck me.  There was a time when tattoos on women were a rarity.  They represented a rebellious, devil-may-care, rule-breaking attitude.  Often, women with ink were outcasts, the oddballs of society.  Usually, they were the folks who'd lived rougher, non-mainstream lives.  A woman with tattoos stood out because of her uniqueness and unwillingness to conform to societal norms.

Over the past few years, tattoos and piercings have become the norm.  Rarely do you see a woman who doesn't have ink.  Rarely do you see someone without some sort of bluish-green design peeking out from under a sleeve, creeping out from a neckline, or proudly displayed on an arm or leg.  Names, dragons, dolphins, stars, tears, skulls, all adorn every possible part of the bodies of ladies of all ages, all the way down to teenagers.  It's become so common that very soon I can foresee a time in which women without these colorful badges of honor will be considered the outcasts, the rebels, the bold ones.

And then I look at you.  My amazingly beautiful ray of sunshine.  The mere sight of you brings a smile to my face.  As corny as it may sound, when you walk into view it's as if light shines down from the sky directly on you.  Scenes reminiscent of Garth's first vision of his dreamgirl in Wayne's World play out in my head. 

In a society that sees the human form as a blank canvas upon which to color and scribe, I see you as God's perfect sculpture--finely crafted, flawless, perfected.  You lack the need to expose yourself to a tattoo artist to cover yourself with etchings, because you are already a masterpiece, a work of art upon which any human alterations would have the effect of graffiti on an otherwise beautiful statue.

And then I realize, in a very short time, you'll be considered a rebel for your refusal to conform to societal norms.  You'll be looked down upon by the very ones who revile those who've looked down on them and called them judgmental.  They will judge you for not being like them, the same as others have judged them in the past. 

So, I guess what I want to say is, thank you for being bold enough to be different.  Thank you for understanding that God created you perfectly, without the need for alterations and permanent adornments.  Thank you for honoring me as your husband by being modest and not exposing your flesh to the world.  Thank you for your moral strength.  Thank you for rebelling against the current fads.

I am grateful to you and for you.

I love you.