28 Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.
29 He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
30 Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
31 but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.
As many of you know, I have not done much writing lately. I have been busy with life, and love, and learning, leaving me precious little of, as Poe called it, 'the time that flies.' I hope that 2011 will allow me more revolutions of the 'hands around the face' in an endeavor that I enjoy perhaps more than any other...
I would be remiss, however, if I were not to pause for a brief moment, as this year wanes, to compose an epistle of gratitude to you, who helped us through a terrifying moment where time stood still. Time moves so quickly, does it not? It truly does seem to fly, faster as we grow older it seems. But there are those moments for all of us when it seems to come to a terrifying halt, only to then resume, taking it's passenger, on it's inexorable march, it's direct flight, upon a new and unknown course.
That moment came for me, for us, on the morning of September 26, when I picked up the ringing telephone and my ear was met with a message of dread - our son, Andrew, had been the victim of an assault that had left him unconscious, comatose, bruised, bleeding, and broken, fighting for life 2,000 miles away.
I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
2 When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.
3 For I am the LORD your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
I called the family together, told them the news, and we prayed. Immediately we began the process of getting to Andrew, all the while informing you and asking you to drop to your knees to intercede on Andrew's behalf before the throne of grace.
Looking back on the past three months, which in some ways are a blur and in others a lifetime, we realize that God's sustaining power, your never ending prayers, and hands and hearts of provision have carried us all the way. Old friends, and new, people we never knew but will now never forget, were sent by God to lift us time and time again and set our feet upon the path that would take us home. To us, you are nothing less than God's messengers, angels of mercy, hope, and love.
It is truly a humbling experience to be loved and lifted thusly - it has transformed us and now our prayer is that we will always remember your kindnesses and be motivated by them to love and lift others in the same way. When one sees answered prayer right before one's eyes day after day and God working through others on your behalf so powerfully, it creates in the soul a song of thanksgiving whose melody is so eloquent, it is haunting in it's beauty and hallowed in your being - we shall never forget it nor shall we ever forget you all.
As this new year dawns, we stand strong in God's grace and your love...Andrew is doing so well - the journey God has taken him, and us, on has been life changing in so many ways; but now, we realize that those ways are not going to be to our detriment, but to our benefit. God truly has shown us that while others intended these circumstances for evil, God intended them for our good and for His glory.
Your part in God's work has been extraordinary - He touched your hearts and moved you to action and through your compassion, we have been blessed beyond our wildest imaginations. Together, we have lifted our eyes unto the hills and seen afresh, that our help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth. Because of you, we have been able to brave the storm and in it, praise Him. I reflect upon the words of Dan Innes, who wrote:
"To turn our crises into opportunities, we need to ask the question, "What might God be trying to say to me through my adverse circumstances?"
Remember, because he was in prison John Bunyan wrote his literary masterpiece, Pilgrim's Progress, and through rising above her severe handicaps Helen Keller became a great inspiration to millions.
And so it is with each of us. No matter what happens to us, God wants to use our suffering to strengthen us, to mature us, and to make us better persons.
If you are going through a time of sickness, sorrow, depression, financial setback, a broken relationship, or feel you have failed in some way, can you accept that God wants to use your suffering to help you grow and become closer to him? Can you ask him to help you see what you might be contributing to your situation, for the courage to do your part in resolving it, and through it help you to grow?
After a long winter, spring eventually comes and with it new leaves appear on the trees in all their refreshing beauty. In the summer they thrive. In the fall they die. But in dying their beauty is greater than in the spring. But the tree doesn't die. The falling leaves just make further growth possible. And that's the cycle of life-struggle, pain, beauty, growth.
Apparently, in his later years, Renoir, the famous French painter, suffered badly from arthritis. On one occasion his close friend, Matisse, questioned him, "My friend, why do you keep on painting when you are in so much pain?" To which Renoir thoughtfully replied, "The pain passes, but the beauty remains!"
For all who trust their life to God and ask him to use their struggles to help them grow, their pain, too, will pass, but their beauty will remain - forever. "Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall."
Be sure to invest your pain. Don't waste it. Invest it wisely in your own growth and in the growth of others."
For the innumerable acts of kindness and mercy you have bestowed upon us, we are and ever will be, forever profoundly grateful. May God richly bless you all in the days ahead and may every second of the 'time that flies' be filled with joy and blessing for you and praises for our God.
We love you all...
Psalm 91
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”
3 Surely he will save you
from the fowler’s snare
and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
5 You will not fear the terror of night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
nor the plague that destroys at midday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
8 You will observe with your eyes
and see the punishment of the wicked.
9 If you say, “The LORD is my refuge,”
and you make the Most High your dwelling,
10 no harm will overtake you,
no disaster will come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways;
12 they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread on the lion and the cobra;
you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
14 “Because he loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
15 He will call
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him
and show him my salvation.”
No comments:
Post a Comment