Too close of a call

Tonight while I was grieving the loss of the Superbowl, my friend Andrew and my aquaintance Chris were out driving. They missed a curve and their car flipped 2 1/2 times. Chris (the driver) was thrown from the car before the driver's seat was completely crushed. Andrew was still in the car and took a hit to the head, some bruised ribs, and some shock, but was able to call for help. I found all this out on fb and few really knew any details while I worried myself crazy while important people figured out what happened. Finally I ascertained that Chris is in the ER with broken ribs and other forms of very banged upedness, but they don't think there is any other damage. Andrew was released from the hospital and got to go home, and then got on facebook--a HUGE woosh of relief for me.

The entire thought and the unexpectedness of it all just made me sick. Amazing how the LORD protected them and kept them as safe as He did. This whole thing reminded me how quickly things change and how much I take for granted--even the things I love like my family, my own ability to breathe, and the tall, spiky-haired, elvish-looking indivdual who enjoys picking a fight with me. Thank you God for protecting Andrew and for again showing me how all-powerful you are. AND for reminding me that I need to show my appreciation for the people you give me in life, before it's too late for either me or them. Thank you for sparing me my friend, and continue to show your blessing and healing to Chris who is still in the hospital.

It reminds me of a song...

LIVE LIKE WE'RE DYING

by Kris Allen

Sometimes we fall down and can't get back up

we're hiding behind skin that's too tough

how come we don't say I love you enough

till it's too late, it's not too late

Our hearts are hungry for a food that won't come

we could make a feast from these crumbs

and we're all staring down the barrel of a gun

so if your life flashed before you

what would you wish you would've done

Yeah... gotta start

lookin at the hand of the time we've been given here

this is all we got and we gotta start pickin it

every second counts on a clock that's tickin'

gotta live like we're dying

We only got

86 400 seconds in a day to

turn it all around or throw it all away

we gotta tell 'em that we love 'em

while we got the chance to say

gotta live like we're dying

And if your plane fell out of the skies

who would you call with your last goodbyes

should be so careful who we live out our lives

so when we long for absolution

there'll no one on the line

Yeah... gotta start

lookin at the hand of the time we've been given here

this is all we got and we gotta start pickin it

every second counts on a clock that's tickin'

gotta live like we're dying

We only got

86 400 seconds in a day to

turn it all around or throw it all away

we gotta tell 'em that we love 'em

while we got the chance to say

gotta live like we're dying

Person reading this, I love you! Come see me so I can tell you so.

A Day For Rejoicing

Nehemiah and the Israelites have just finished rebuilding the wall. They experienced all kinds of hostility and opposition, but God was with them and helped them complete the wall in only 52 days. After this, the people all gathered together as one to hear Ezra read the Book of the Law. They listened attentively and bowed down, worshiped, and wept as they listened.

Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to them all, "This day is sacred to the LORD your God. Do not mourn or weep." For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law. Nehemiah said, "Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength." 

The Levites calmed all the people, saying, "Be still, for this is a sacred day. Do not grieve." 

Then all the people went away to eat and drink, to send portions of food and to celebrate with great joy, because they now understood the words that had been made known to them.

These people knew that they had fallen woefully short of what God's law required. They had been in exile a long time and could not worship God as they used to in a foreign land. But God did not want them to weep over the past--God wanted them to be joyous! This was a special day! The law was now understood by them--why not make it a party, said the LORD!

I just thought that was neat. Some people say Christians are always a bored species, wearing stiff collars and never smiling because of the sin in the world. There is a time for mourning, but there is also a time when God calls us to rejoice!

Bummy

Lately I've been bummed about... stuff.

There are the little bummy things, like I ordered my fencing mask early last week and I need it tonight and it STILL isn't here.

The writing field is always more iffy than our economy, and can be quite an annoying realm.

I'm thinking a lot about a new Saturday night service we're starting up at our church, and there are so many particulars, so many things we need, so many things we don't have, so many things to get, so many people to get approval from, not enough money, and the overwhelming problem that nobody shows up at all.

There's things I want to start spending money on soon and I don't have money.

There's stuff I'm not good at that needs getting good at.

There's always things about myself that need fixing, and some things that some find annoying can't be helped.

Stuff like that.

But I read in Philippians 3 & 4 today, and we all know the verses that talk about forgetting what is behind and pushing ahead to win the prize. I noticed those verses don't sound at all like Paul was bummed or worried about maybe NOT winning, or how to jump over that log in front. He's thinking about the prize, and when you're thinking about the prize, you're thinking about a good thing, and you're excited about it. Then just a little bit later it says "Rejoice in the LORD always" and "Do not be anxious about anything, but present your requests to God". Well, there are a lot of requests to make, but for some reason I don't think they are possible, so I guess that's why I get bummed. For most of the things I'm bummed about listed above, "the prize" requires divine intervention. So I'm presenting the requests all right, but the waiting for the divine intervention is the bummable part. It's like, "We've done stuff like this before, and WE definitely can't do it." God's the one that's got to do it, and I guess I'm thinking it's on the bottom of his to-do list. Hard to see or think about all the good things when God's yet to do them.