[Faith-talk] Daily Thought for Tuesday, March 18, 2014

[Paul]

Hello to all my loyal readers out there in cyberspace.  Sorry to be late, but I was at an appraiser's place trying to find out a good price to sell my 120-base Corelli accordion, and which music store might buy it.  Well, the appraiser who just happens to be a Christian and 82 years of age, looked it over, tested the keys, looked inside the cavernous interior and did a bit of cleaning.  He came up with a price figure that was quite reasonable.  So perhaps this Monday my housemate Michelle and the undersigned are going to take this instrument to a place in Takoma Park MD just north of Washington DC line with the state of Maryland.  After that we just had to have a bite of late lunch.  However, I'm now back and ready to give you the Daily Thought article for today.

The author of this article, Lais Waddell, lives in Trinidad, and his contribution is entitled "Take Courage; It is I," rendered as follows:

These words of Jesus are immediately followed by, "Do not be afraid" (Matt. 14:27).

That verse is comforting in and of itself but apply it to everyday life and it becomes or progresses into a lifeline.  Life can be hectic and wrought with stress--and that's just the mundane day-to-day activities! But what happens when things go completely topsy-turvy? Suddenly a loved one becomes seriously ill.  Or that new promotion we wanted at work, and finally got, turns out to be a nightmare and the new boss makes every day a painful experience.  Or we lose our job and it's getting harder everyday to be economically efficient.

Sometimes, these things happen all at once.  Two years ago (2010) I had a perfect storm of events happen:  first my grandmother died, then my dog (who was like a member of the family) also passed, and then, to put the icing on the cake--or, should I say, the maelstrom under my shipwreck--I was forced to move from the house I had lived in for 22 years of my life.  All this was in the space of two months.

These things turn us head over heels and make us question what God is doing.  Sometimes we wonder if God sees what we're going through or if God even cares.  I know I certainly did, and I would wrestle with these questions every night.

On the subject of storms, there was another one written about in one of the Gospels.  The disciples had asked Jesus, "Do you not care that we are perishing?" (Mark 4:38).  Which I think perfectly depicts their frustration and mirrors ours.

We wonder why we must go through these heart-wrenching times and when they will end.  But very often, the hardships we go through in the end yield something we could not have gotten otherwise--it's just that we can't see the finished product while it is being manufactured.  So take courage when your loved one is sick--it is God.  Take courage when your job seems unbearable.  It is God.  So don't be afraid.  Though the storm rages around you, God is in the midst of it, ready to see us through it, and guide us safely to the rainbow that is on the other end.

And there you have Lais' article which I hope you enjoyed reading and that is was a blessing for you today.

And now may the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob just keep us safe, individually and collectively, in these last days in which we live.  Lord willing, tomorrow there will be another Daily Thought message for you.  Your Christian friend and brother, Paul