"You are my hiding place; you will deliver me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance." ... Psalm 32:7
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One of the best-remembered days Tom and I ever had? One in 2000 in Boston: a guided bus tour throughout the entire city (but oh, those skinny streets!): wandering with a tour group through the old ship, USS Constitution in the Boston Harbor: lunch at an outdoor table on the Boston Common. All recalled with dreamy smiles.
And now we are still reeling from yesterday's tragedy.
And yes, there's the Mr. Rogers' look-at-the-helpers thing. It comforts me a tad.
But oh, most of us need so much more.
People who lost family--that is forever. They cannot get them back and it will require time to heal--for those who can heal.
People who no longer have legs, arms. They and their loved ones will be forced to live different, complicated ways. Some relationships may not survive that.
People in our Country who permanently lost their sense of safety. Who will now fear standing in any type of crowd--or who will never again risk it--and stay home.
People who emotionally will park on April 15th, 2013 and never step away.
I must look at those people, too. And how our world is broken, how satan is rearing his demonic head and how the Bible promised these (and more) tragedies in the Last Days. I look at it all--that's how I am.
And I must pray and carry comfort, encouragement where I can. Yet one thing comes first: I must retreat to my hiding place with God, the one right up next to His beating heart, for I can't spread healing if I, within myself, am mortally wounded.
Already, we've got too many wounded healers. Parents with gaping, bleeding hearts trying to help raise strong, whole, confident-in-God children. Church leaders whose only sense of pain relief comes when they're audibly praised or promoted. Teachers who leave their classrooms with extreme heart-emptiness. Medical personnel still hurting over patients they lost 15 years ago.
Only Jesus can heal the deepest wounds--only in that hiding place and only when we believe He holds that kind of power... and then allow it to wash over us.
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"... mourn with those who mourn." ... Romans 12:15
"Then your light will break forth like the dawn and your healing will quickly appear: then your righteousness will go before you and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard." Isaiah 58:8
"He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart." ... Psalm 91:4
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A passionate love for Jesus changes everything.
You are so right in the list of problems the survivors will now face!! Tragedy forever changes a family...how well I know that one. Nothing is ever the same, the missing one cannot be replaced. It is one thing when people die old of natural causes...that is hard enough...and yet more difficult for facing the loss of someone young or not ill. I do not know how people without GOD can manage to survive, frankly...we barely hung on with HIM helping us!! You might not think that loosing my brother at age 20 to a drunk driver has impacted my children who never knew him, but it forever changed so many things, that what our family had, was gone, forever...so my children grew up not knowing what we had before and could no longer replicate, though we each in our own way tried to do that. And that impacted my children and thus my grandchildren and I assume it will continue on. We know that such will come to an end one glad day!! EVERYTHING then will be made new and right again!! I look forward to that day!!
ReplyDeleteElizabeth in VA
A very wise post. I am almost speechless in the light of these terrible events.
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