Family

Yesterday I had the opportunity to speak at my brother-in-laws church and many of my family and extended family were there. It’s funny even though I speak often very rarely do I get a chance to go back home and see my family. Now this was a special occasion it was their third year pastoring in his church but this story is more about my sister Ella his wife. What you may not know is that I'm from a large family of 11 kids and Ella has been my strongest support in my Christian journey since the death of my mom many years ago. Three years ago Ella found out her liver was failing and was placed on a donor waiting list. After numerous treatments and many hospital stays Ella's liver was finally giving up, but during this period of time her love for God, her faith in God and her love for her family is what kept her strength. I remember one late night phone call when she was sharing with me her thoughts and feelings about dying and how she kept saying remember when mom would say "The darkest just before the storm and the hardest fight is just to keep holding on". Or remember when mom used to say "God may not come when you want Him but He's right on time". It was at that moment I realized how dear my family was to me. It was at that moment that the legacy that my mom has left in her children. After speaking my other sister Brenda got up to give closing remarks and during her remarks she turned to me and said “little brother I just want you to know mom would be proud”. Then my nephews comment to the congregation about the impact the family has had on his life and that is why he is in love with Jesus today and I guess what I’m really trying to say is that family matters. You see, it is family that knows you, where you have come from and where you have been. And its family that sticks behind you through the hard times and all life brings. And as I sat there and saw my family and heard the words they were saying to the rest of the congregation, even though there have been many ups and down and difficult times my family has always been and will always be there for me.

From My Heart

As I sit here today, my heart is heavy. Over the past few weeks I have been somewhat sad. It is the kind of sadness that the bible calls sadness of the heart. Even this morning I was reading an article that stated (World hunger reaches the 1 billion people mark.) Then I was reading in the Bible from the book of Revelation chapter 2 and I was taken aback by how God spoke of the people. How God stated that he had things against them. How they had lost their first love. How we as people often turn from good to our own selfishness. I’m sad when I realize that more often than not I worry about myself but care little for what others are going through. I find myself asking why do we have so much. But give so little? Over the past few weeks I have had an overwhelming feeling that we as people are not becoming better but more self-centered. But it is now more than ever people need to have hope, and we that are the most privileged should do all we can to help those who are not. My heart also tells me that people not only need their physically needs met, but also their spiritual needs as well. I can only pray that this sadness in my heart will cause me to do what I can with what I have, for the good of those that God has given me a heart for.

WHY

I often find myself asking the question, Why! Why did that happen , Why did that person die, Why did I not see it coming? Why do good things happen to bad people? Why did God not interven? Why is life so unfair? Yes I ask why all the time and most of the time I don't care about the answers, I want my pain to go away or I want to be justifed in my thinking. You see I think deep down inside, I know what's best in most situations, and I want to make sure God understands that. I want Him to say, your right Don that is what I was thinking. I want things to work out how I plan, and I have little time to deal with a God who does not see things as I do. Well if you really think about it, you would no doubt tell me to wake up. You might say how arrogant of me to think I have all the answers. That I know what's right all the time. And there is the problem, I think I can question the God who made it all. I should tell Him what is best, or how life should be run. But if there is a God who is truly God why would he need anyone to tell how to do things. If your like me the word God carries a certian meaning or connotation to it. It means that He (GOD) is great not me and that Gives Him the right to be in charge. He welcomes my questions, but not my challenges to who He is.