Good morning after far too long. I have been in email transition mode and it has not flowed smoothly but I am here on this rainy Saturday morning. Much has unfolded just in the last two weeks with much more still before me over the next 72 hours; I love that if you know me!
The world continues to illustrate the immeasurable depths of depravity that Man can find that leaves us in a state of disbelief and anger with the Cleveland kidnappings story as example. The Boston Bombings are almost now disappearing in the mist of history as more tasty morsels of awful are served up for the cameras. When will it stop we find ourselves uttering but the answer, there is no stopping point less a relationship with God I have realized more and more as my years race by even more quickly.
Since my last blog there have been several deaths in my world from ages 32 to 92. During that time we have seen the Benghazi debacle come back to political life in each side of the aisle trying to attack the other while our nation continues its debt addiction. We see the decay in our mores as our society seems daily to become less and less stable. We watch in anguish at it all asking ourselves questions about why and how and how much. But with all of this garbage, songs continues to come to me that takes the stench away. Songs like .. I serve a risen Savior, He's in the world today. I know that He is living, no matter when men may say. I see His Hand of mercy. I hear His Voice of cheer. And just the time I need Him, He is always near. He Lives, He Lives, Christ Jesus lives today. He walks with me and talks with me along life's narrow way. He Lives, He Live. You ask me how I know He Lives .... ready? He LIVES WITHIN MY HEART!
I think our world needs a great dose of clear, unabated knowledge and reminder that we do serve a God that loves us with a love not a single one of us deserves as evidenced by the headlines. Never forget that what we are seeing in the news is many times only a coating of what is really going on.
Last night during one of the jail services, this young inmate was distracting the process of the worship service for the others with argumentative-toned outpouring of questions about "what is the cross," or "how can Jesus be God's child and still be God Himself", etc, etc which was disrupting the sermon by our speaker. I found myself tensing up and actually wanting to lash out at the interference but then realized, if they do not ask, then how will they ever know. I felt, in retrospect of this morning, that the questions and the tone were coming from an inquisitive, totally unchurched, angry young man in jail from a crime I do know anything about, a life I know nothing about facing a future we cannot predict. It is people like that that illustrate why we do jail ministry so I was lifted by the way the service ended as I sang THE OLD RUGGED CROSS with all the men gathered around me as we looked at the symbols of the cross on the wall behind me; it was a moment!
Today we go to the funeral of a great friend and one of our pastors. Our pastor's brother was killed last Saturday in a terrible crain accident and his brother, our pastor, will preach the funeral service today. Much prayer has been lifted for Pastor Jake and his family as most of his brother's family are not Christian facing the pain and horrors of such an unexpected death a few days ago. It is all just so tragic. But it amplifies the mandate to always be ready to leave this world to spend eternity in Heaven or Hell and yes, that is a choice each of us must make.
I will close by almost apologizing for the tone of my blog but please know, I am so very happy on the avenues of my life. The health is good; a gift. I had many former students graduate with their degree from Kent State last evening with many messages from them with some very kind and humbling remembrances of our time together; what a blessing to me!
Please know I am glad to be back up operationally so we can communicate more routinely. I covet your prayers as there is much singing today, tomorrow and Monday as I sing for the funeral of a dear friend now resting with the Lord. Pray for his two daughters as they wrestle with losing their dad that loved them both so very much. Dave Smith was a great friend and a man I grew to love dearly and am so honored to get to be part of his funeral.
Thank you for your friendship; I have our linkage electronically. God just keeps getting better I find!!!
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