BAD THINGS HAPPEN TO GOOD PEOPLE

"You Are God",  was the theme of our musical worship this Easter.  Woven into the music were four videos of members in the church who were living their lives right, wonderful Christians, when calamity struck.

Lance had a load fall on him when he was in his twenties and crippled him waist down for life.  He thought his life was over, but years later, he was able to have children, and he has prospered at business, and never missed a beat with God.  He is one of the front line singers and rolled out for the end of the pastor's message along with the others for a standing ovation by 4,000 in the crowd last night.

Martha and Josh Lopez were next.  They had been expecting their first, who they were going to name Josh, when they miscarried.  His sister, who was in drugs and was living in sin got pregnant with another baby, and planned to call it Joshua.  Josh and Marsha were heart broken still and this seemed very insensitive of her, since that was their choice for their first child.  They looked to God for healing and peace.  Then out of the blue months later they were contacted by a relative who told them that the baby was in Florida and had been abandoned by his mother.  They did not hesitate.  They went to rescue Josh and later adopted him.  So, their first child WAS named Josh and he has brought such joy into their household.  God was preparing hearts as well as a place for this little guy.

Next, there was Mark, who is a photographer, who one day was leaving his studio and was hurt so bad in an accident right outside, on a Saturday afternoon, that they thought he was dying.  Out of nowhere came a military young man who called for emergency help and then a cab driver stopped, prayed with him for his salvation, fearing the worst, and would not stop laying hands on him until the EMTs arrived.  Actually, Mark said that the man's whole body was very hot from the Holy Ghost.  He was so thankful that this young man persisted.  He has a scarred face, but God healed and restored him.

Then there is Meka.  She said goodbye to her husband as he went off to work.  He was a high ranking officer in the army and took a flight on a Black Hawk helicopter that went down in Europe.  He left that morning and did not return home.  Now she is raising two little boys, ages 4 and 10.  She stood by me in the choir on Thursday night.  I know she has had three and a half years to heal, but I was sensing that her wounds were opened up and hurting afresh.  

I reached out and patted her back. She smiled a painful smile and said she was okay at the end of the video of her testimony.  Then we sang "When I Don't Know What to Do". Cindy Magsig sang this with such clarity as her soul poured out through her solo.  

I praise God for these brave saints who shared their pain, their faith in God, and who have stood firm in their walk with God to encourage us to look up for our strength and peace.

We all know that things happen to everyone and yet sometimes as new Christians we think we will be immune because we're God's kids, but more often than not, that is why we are targeted.

So, I want to encourage you to be patient.  Let God weave his perfect tapestry.  You are a culmination of many events that are orchestrated to make you just who you were intended to be.  

Be content to know that God stands back and says, "See that place in your life when you thought it was the pits?  That night when you were crying because your heart was breaking?  That was when we had that special moment and you saw how my heart breaks because all of my beloved on earth don't spend time loving me."

Family, things, entertainment, work, pleasure, the lure of sin, all get in the way and become more important.  How His heart aches to bring us all into His kingdom of love.  

I am thankful to be a funnel on this Earth and I pray that I will always be faithful and demonstrate back to God how much I truly love and honor Him.