What Unites Us

I woke up with just a few lyrics (“tonight’s the night”) playing in my head.  I tried looking it up, but I knew the Rod Stewart song was definitely not what was stuck in my head.  I knew the song had something to do with a city, so I added that to my search and found Toby Mac’s song “City on Our Knees”.  After listening to the song and reading the lyrics, I still wasn’t sure why this song was on my heart this morning.  The lyrics, “Through the fog, there is hope in the distance,” resonated with me as I had been praying since 4 am for the family of my student who went to be with Jesus on Saturday.  However, I thought there had to be more to it than that one line.  A search for the meaning of the song led me to a YouTube video in which TobyMac explained,

“City” is about a moment. A moment that we all come together, and our differences fall by the wayside, and love fills in the cracks, and we turn our attention on what unites us.

Tonight’s the night for the visitation.  Maybe that is why those words were on my mind early this morning, but I’m glad I didn’t stop there.  This beautiful student and faithful child of God had a desire to see our students unite this year and truly come together as one body.  She couldn’t have known that this would be accomplished through her death, but she would be so proud of and happy for her classmates who have done exactly what her heart desired.  They have come together in love and unity to honor her.  Her legacy lives on!

…so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.    Ephesians 4:12b-13

In the Eye of the Storm

I am heartbroken. One of my students died suddenly and tragically in an accident yesterday, and her younger sister (also one of my students) was critically injured, but by the grace of God, she will survive. I woke up early this morning, thinking it was all a nightmare, that I had only dreamed this horrific news, but reality crashed over me as I recalled hugging my students and sobbing with them yesterday. There were no words. We just held each other and shared our grief. Please pray for our school, our students, and our teachers this week as we attempt to comfort one another and continue living with a hole in our lives.

https://artsandrhymes.me/2016/04/29/faith-friday-in-the-eye-of-the-storm/

I have had the song Eye of the Storm by Ryan Stevenson stuck in my head all week, and I began to meditate on its comforting words this morning as I prayed for the family and friends of my students who were in the fatal accident.  I was reminded that God is still in control and that we can still trust Him even when terrible things happen to those we love.  I have copied some of the lyrics below, but you can click on the link above to watch the YouTube video with all the lyrics. 

When the solid ground is falling out from underneath my feet

Between the black skies, and my red eyes, I can barely see…

When my hopes and dreams are far from me

And I’m runnin’ out of faith

I see the future I picture slowly fade away

And when the tears of pain and heartache 

Are pouring down my face

I find my peace in Jesus’ name

In the eye of the storm, You remain in control

And in the middle of the war, You guard my soul

You alone are the anchor, When my sails are torn

Your love surrounds me, In the eye of the storm

Lord, I pray that you will guard the souls of these young people who may be confused and running out of faith.  We prayed for a miracle, and yet one of our sweet friends is walking on streets of gold.  We know she is even more joyful in Heaven than she was here on Earth, but it doesn’t lessen our sorrow that she will no longer be in our lives.  However, we do not grieve as unbelievers do because we know that we will see her again in Heaven and spend eternity together worshiping You.  Father, surround each of us with your love and comfort us with your peace.  Heal the younger sister and bind up her broken heart.  Thank you for allowing her to remain with us.  We know that you will make all of this work together for our good.  Help us not to lose sight of your eternal purpose as we grieve.  You give and take away, but my heart will choose to say, “Blessed be Your name.”  I ask all this in the name of your son Jesus, who you gave to die for us.  Amen.

ALL Lives Matter

Black lives matter.  Police lives matter.  All lives matter.  My heart is broken over the senseless murders committed yesterday evening in Dallas.  My prayers are with all the families that have lost a loved one regardless of the color of their skin.  I am so deeply saddened that we live in a country where no one feels safe anymore.

Disney’s The BFG is in theaters now, and I am planning to take my older two children once we finish reading the book. Yesterday afternoon we read these observant words uttered by the BFG, “Human beans [beings] is the only animals that is killing their own kind.”  The BFG went on to say, “The human beans is making rules to suit themselves.”   

Roald Dahl wrote these words over 30 years ago, and people have continued to kill each other and justify those killings to suit themselves.  From Cain and Abel to present day, men have killed each other, and it appears to only be getting worse. 

I have been memorizing the book of Ephesians since January, and I am now in the middle of chapter four.  Ephesians is a wonderful book, and there are several verses I love, but one verse that has struck me as culturally relevant the past week is verse 18. 

I had originally thought of this verse in regards to politics, but it applies to all people who have hardened their hearts.  If you have hatred and bitterness in your heart, you will not understand the whole situation, you will be ignorant to the facts, and you will be blinded by your hatred.  The truth is we can’t do this without God.  True peace is not possible without Christ.  

“For he [Christ] himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations.  His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.”   Ephesians 2:14-16 (NIV)

Today, my family and I attended a moment of silence, prayer, and remembrance in support of our local police officers.  I broke down in tears as I explained to my children where we were going and why we needed to show our appreciation for our police officers.  After the mayor and police chief spoke, we all joined hands around the room for a moment of silence and a prayer.  As chance would have it, I stood next to and gladly held the hand of a lovely, black woman.  We stood united in love and support of our police officers as we prayed for the protection of our officers and those they are called to serve. 

God has destroyed the barrier between races through Christ and the cross.  We can be reconciled and live in peace only through the cross of Christ.  Paul urges us in Ephesians 4:31 to “get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.”  We can’t do that on our own, but with Christ in us, we can do all things.  I urge all believers to lead the way in forgiving each other and seeking reconciliation with others.  Let our compassion soften the hearts of the unbelievers as we speak the truth in love.