 |
| The Sedlmeier Family |
Today is
Friday, September 25, 2015. I don't know about you but there are times when things happen that just absolutely shake you to the very core of your being. The other day some of the people from our local fellowship got caught up in huge traffic delay on a nearby roadway. The highway was shut down for hours. Here's the reason: "Roland and Melinda Sedlmeier met eight years ago while working as
missionaries in Kenya for a Christian outreach group called Mission
Aviation Fellowship. Roland served as one of the group's pilots using
small aircraft to reach remote regions in Africa. Home video shows them
celebrating the arrival of their firstborn while still in Kenya, a son
named Harley, two years later. Their daughter Sofie's arrival brought
the Sedlmeier family to four. Roland, 49; Melinda, 42; Harley, 6; and
Sofie, 4, died Sunday on Highway 105 in Conroe in a three-vehicle crash.
They were on their way home from church." (Source: Online Edition of the Conroe Courier.) That was last Sunday. The 68 year old driver who caused the accident was impaired. He had not been drinking. It is believed he was under the influence of some prescription drugs. His doctor has been arrested for running a pill mill where people essentially purchase drugs in much the same way they would buy them from a drug dealer on the street. What a horrific tragedy. All we know to do is to cry out to God on behalf of those left to mourn this great loss. Coming home from Church. I heard the daughter of the man who has been charged say that he too was on his way home from Church. She said he takes several different prescriptions to treat his numerous serious health problems.
I also saw a note from a dear missionary friend in the Philippines. He is the one that uses a ship to reach far flung places with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Here's what his note said: "The news from our former anchorage has shocked us into a reality that is
sometimes left in the foaming wake of our missionary travels. Four of
our friends from the Davao sailing community are those taken hostage by
some as yet, unknown terrorist group. Please join us in prayer for
Kiartan, Robert, John and Tess for their safe recovery by the
authorities. And offer a prayer of thanksgiving with us that the Lord
moved us and our vessel from that anchorage weeks ago." We never know folks, we just never know. Some believe that people involved in the Lord's work are immune from the challenges that others have to deal with. That is an absolute total misrepresentation of the truth. I saw another posting from a missionary in Kenya who lamented the fact that one of their grandmothers was dealing with some life threatening surgery. They wish they could be with their family but it was not possible for them to do so. My heart goes out to those who have surrendered their lives to the calling that God has placed within them. May He continue to lead, guide, guard, and direct their way.
Amen.
I'm not attempting to put a damper on our week but I know many of you will join me in praying about these specific situations. If I began to list the things that I have personally observed up close and personal that I have no clue as to why they happened, we would be here a long time. What do we do when we face uncertain times? How do we deal with these challenges to our understanding? We who are believers can do something. I thought of a song. Yep. I do that quite often. Here it is:
Verse One:
There are moments on our journey following the
Lord
Where God illumines every step we take.
There are times
when circumstances make perfect sense to us,
As we try to
understand each move He makes.
When the path grows dim and our
questions have no answers, turn to Him.
Chorus:
Bow the knee;
Trust the heart of your Father when
the answer goes beyond what you can see.
Bow the knee;
Lift
your eyes toward heaven and believe the One who holds eternity.
And
when you don’t understand the purpose of His plan,
In the
presence of the King, bow the knee.
Verse Two:
There are days when clouds surround us, and the rain
begins to fall,
The cold and lonely winds won’t cease to
blow.
And there seems to be no reason for the suffering we
feel;
We are tempted to believe God does not know.
When the
storms arise, don’t forget we live by faith and not by sight.
Chorus:
Bow the knee;
Trust the heart of your Father when
the answer goes beyond what you can see.
Bow the knee;
Lift
your eyes toward heaven and believe the One who holds eternity.
And
when you don’t understand the purpose of His plan,
In the
presence of the King, bow the knee.
Song: Bow the Knee, written by Chris Machen. Be encouraged in the Lord. Have a great Saturday and Lord's Day Sunday and I will see you next time as the Lord provides. Amen. .....More later.
No comments:
Post a Comment