What a week we just went through! A week of good news and bad news. The good news concerning our family here - Betty Echols is still improving at home, Frank Everett is at home doing better, and our granddaughter, Kaylie, got to go home from the hospital, along with others that are struggling but, still doing ok. The bad news, we lost one of our family this week, Trisha Ray. I didn’t have the privilege of knowing her that long or that well but, all I saw of her she seemed to be a really good person. Also, I had to do two funerals in one day, Trisha’s and one for Don Brigman who I did not know at all and those can be difficult.
All of this points to one thing I want us to think about. Nearly every family in this congregation has been going through some tough times of one kind or another lately. If not us personally, then someone in our family or a dear friend that we really care for. And, sadly, for some us, it has been a combination of these things - both us and someone dear to us that we have been struggling with. How are we to deal with these things? How are we to keep our spirits up and build up and encourage others when we, ourselves, are feeling down and discouraged? There is only one way, we must turn to God in complete faith and trust! How do we do this? Two passages of scripture come to mind in thinking about all of this. Here they are: “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7); “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety upon Him, because He cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:6-7). Paul says we must talk to God, open ourselves up to Him concerning our pain and our struggles and He will hear and help us. This also means, if we truly trust in God, we will get up and go, get up and do the best we can with what we have.
Many years ago a famous tight rope walker was putting on a show at Niagara Falls in front of a huge crowd. There was a steel cable stretched across the Falls and he had a wheel barrow he was going to push ahead of him on the cable. He asked the crowd, “How many believe I can push this wheelbarrow across this steel cable?” Hands went up everywhere. Then he said, “Ok, one of you jump in the wheelbarrow and let me push you across in it!” Not one person jumped up to get in the wheelbarrow.
We must put our faith into practice. When we give things over to God, actually do it! We must learn to leave things in God’s hands which means I quit fretting over whatever it is I was struggling with. If I truly believe God is going to get me through then I have nothing to worry about.
Until next week, I love you all,
Dan
All of this points to one thing I want us to think about. Nearly every family in this congregation has been going through some tough times of one kind or another lately. If not us personally, then someone in our family or a dear friend that we really care for. And, sadly, for some us, it has been a combination of these things - both us and someone dear to us that we have been struggling with. How are we to deal with these things? How are we to keep our spirits up and build up and encourage others when we, ourselves, are feeling down and discouraged? There is only one way, we must turn to God in complete faith and trust! How do we do this? Two passages of scripture come to mind in thinking about all of this. Here they are: “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7); “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety upon Him, because He cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:6-7). Paul says we must talk to God, open ourselves up to Him concerning our pain and our struggles and He will hear and help us. This also means, if we truly trust in God, we will get up and go, get up and do the best we can with what we have.
Many years ago a famous tight rope walker was putting on a show at Niagara Falls in front of a huge crowd. There was a steel cable stretched across the Falls and he had a wheel barrow he was going to push ahead of him on the cable. He asked the crowd, “How many believe I can push this wheelbarrow across this steel cable?” Hands went up everywhere. Then he said, “Ok, one of you jump in the wheelbarrow and let me push you across in it!” Not one person jumped up to get in the wheelbarrow.
We must put our faith into practice. When we give things over to God, actually do it! We must learn to leave things in God’s hands which means I quit fretting over whatever it is I was struggling with. If I truly believe God is going to get me through then I have nothing to worry about.
Until next week, I love you all,
Dan
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