The world is alright...

                                                                              Psalm 3
  Lord, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me!
         Many are saying of me, “God will not deliver him. ”
 But you, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high.
         I call out to the Lord, and he answers me from his holy mountain.
 I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me.
         I will not fear though tens of thousands assail me on every side.
 Arise, Lord! Deliver me, my God! Strike all my enemies on the jaw;
         break the teeth of the wicked.  
From the Lord comes deliverance. May your blessing be on your people.

We are in crazy times, so many times I hear people questioning "why" the world is such an ugly place, and why we have to hurt so much. And every time, once the ache in my heart subsides, I remember. God is still God- and HE will never forsake me. I love how no matter what "depth" the pit is I am in at any given time, God never fails to remind me of that. I listened to one of our highschool boys teach at the after school program today, and saw two girls give their lives to Jesus. And more than anything- I was reminded that GOD is on His throne, and no plan of His will fail. This kid took me to school and reminded me that the miracle of the Lord's death and resurrection is the ONLY thing that will matter forever. All this other stuff is just part of the story. He shared proof of the resurrection, and concluded the message with a verse that brought me such comfort, I can't even tell you.
 "Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20

 And then...the world was alright. God bless you, friend.

Haiti- to go...or not to go? That is the question.

It is still so interesting to me that you can go from a pretty mediocre week, to one that wants to put you in a tail spin. I started Monday off with finding out that my very first oncology patient that I have worked with for an extended period of time, treating and evaluating her over the last 7 months, had died last weekend. I was on vacation from the clinic for a couple of weeks, so the last time I saw this dear woman, she was feeling good, doing well and "knew that God has healed me". That was before Christmas. Now she is gone. I deal with death and physical suffering on a daily basis, but this cancer fighter had a face. And more than that, the only thing I could see when I heard she was gone was her little 5 year old son's face, and her young husband's smile. Broken hearts abounded last week as I thought of her sweet family trying to press on.
Then the horrific disaster in Haiti. A country that very likely has loose, if any, building codes, and even fewer EMS and humanitarian services is struck with the awesome power of our Creator. It is a surreal feeling to see that kind of devastation, that kind of suffering, and be nice and cozy in my fancy suburban hospital, with middle aged women whining that "the tape is making me itch" on their dressings, or "the taco salad they served for dinner didn't have very much flavor". I felt guilty all week for being spoiled rotten. You send money, you pray, and you cry- but it still feels like a world away.

Then the call comes Saturday- "Can you come help?" A nursing group I joined sends RN's to the front lines of natural and traumatic disasters to triage, bandage and provide relief to the medical personnel in places just like Haiti. And they want to know if I can come and help. My heart immediately says "Of course", and then the questions and concerns come. Timing couldn't be worse, with Steve working minimal hours, taking two weeks off work with no pay won't be easy. Teenage issues are abounding at our house, can I leave my children and let them figure things out for awhile, my two greatest disciples God has given me? Marriage is tough and ours has had a shake up with the last month of craziness, is it o.k. to put the relationship on pause while I go play "nurse"? And the health issues. This isn't like going to Katrina in all of the filth and contamination that happened, this is a filthy and dirty country, with poverty, disease and sickness already...no FDA or CDC keeping things in check the rest of the year.

The question I heard discussed most by people around me was the "why". "So sad, and so senseless" this massive destruction and pain. Some would say "hey, it's a good thing- now developed countries will come in, rebuild, and Haiti will be better off". Some would say "sad but oh well, Haiti doesn't matter that much". Jesus had words for the people of Jerusalem who wondered "why, whose fault is it, did they get what they deserved" when a similar (albeit smaller) tragedy happened- a tower at the pool of Siloam fell and killed 18 people senselessly- and Jesus dared to say "Take heed". Check it out:

"Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish." Luke 13:4-5

Do I dare say that we all should take heed? As we cruise around in our daily life, and push God to the way side, how long will He be patient with our neglect? Please don't misunderstand and think I am pointing a finger at Haiti or anyone who deals with what seems like meaningless loss and suffering. I am simply asking- have we prepared our hearts for the Creator of the Universe to test them, and when we see His hand, do we repent and say- "Oh, God...I am dust"?

John McArthur wrote in a commentary on Luke 13: "The question in (the peoples) minds was regarding the connection between calamity and iniquity ("more guilty"). Jesus responded by saying that such calamity was not God's way to single out an especially evil group for death, but as a means of warning to ALL sinners. Calamitous judgment was eventually coming to all if they did not repent."

Should we all take a moment to reflect on the condition of our hearts and offering ourselves up to the cleansing and refining work of God in our lives? We could get in a car accident today, struck with cancer tomorrow, or lose a baby...just like that. Can we still trust that He is sovereign, just and mighty- in the face of calamity?
Whoa- just call me Debbie Downer. But right after this Jesus- boosted my spirit. In context, right after Jesus said the above words, He told a story about a fig tree that wasn't giving any fruit, and hadn't for years. Someone said the fig tree owner should just chop that stupid tree down, but the Tree Owner said, "Let it alone, sir, for one more year, and I will dig around it and put in fertilizer, and if it bears fruit next year, fine; but if not, cut it down." (Luke 13:8-9) Yet another example of the extreme patience and grace of our loving Father. He gives us warning after warning that He is REAL...then He patiently waits for us to wise up.

Oh, Lord- fertilize and tend the soil of my heart. Help us all to repent from our evil ways and bear beautiful fruit for You- pretty to look at, healthy for the communities we live in, and GOOD for the people of this world.

Tomorrow, I will start the paperwork to get to Haiti. And we will see what God will do. God be with you, friends.

Incredible testimony...Gotta love the power of God.

So- Randy Alcorn makes my jaw drop. If only I loved and believed God like that. Suffering in America takes on a whole different meaning- and they don't even seem to mind.
Check out this link:

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2003/april/7.90.html