Tragedy

In 1962 my parents were serving as missionaries on Guam.  On November 11, 1962 we endured one of the deadliest typhoons ever to hit Guam.  I wrote about it a little while back.

Tonight I was looking through some of Dad's sermon notes and found something he had written about experiencing the typhoon.  I'm not sure when he wrote this but from some of the other notes in this notebook I believe it was the fall of 1968.  The title of the sermon was "The Blessedness of Possessing Nothing".  Here is what he wrote:

"During Typhoon Karen, this lesson of the 'Blessedness of Possessing Nothing' was made very vivid to me.  When for 8 grueling hours winds of 150 to 200 mph are driving rain and debris through your house, you have time to get over some of your 'scared-ness'  and think.  God's power is certainly not doubted in such an hour, as you see your furniture smashed, even the big upright piano being blown around like a matchbox, you sure feel your helplessness!  Somehow, at a time like that, when you see your prized possessions being blown around and broken, the books that you so dearly loved dripping with water, it doesn't seem to matter too much.  But when you see your children huddled, sopping wet under water-soaked mattresses to protect them from the wind and flying debris, it makes you feel your nothingness.  You search for a dry corner and their is none.  you search for dry clothing but the clothes in the closet are dripping and the chest of drawers is filling with water.  All is black.  The wind is howling.  The rain soaked clothing chills the body.  Yet there was a light and peace and warmth that came to my soul and an assurance that all would be well.  Believe me, it was a night spent in prayer, and it was a night of real spiritual victory.  Striped to nothing, yet richest of all, we simply had God."

I went to the jail tonight for Bible study with the ladies of cell block C.  When I got home I was reading through the prayer requests I had collected.  Most of the requests centered around prayers for children and families of the women (my heart really goes out to them as they face the holidays apart) or for upcoming court dates.  But one of the prayer requests really struck me.  This young lady simply wrote "Pray for the families of the people and children involved in the school shootings".

Wow!  This young woman certainly knows what it feels like to be striped to nothing yet her prayer request is for those involved in this horrific tragedy.  God, may I never forget what is most important!  May I never get so wrapped up in things, busy-ness, and just plain ME that I lose sight of others.  Please join with me in honoring this prayer request throughout the upcoming days, weeks, and months.  I feel certain that if we spend nights in prayer for these families, God will have the victory in this senseless act of evil.

Proverbs 15:3 (The Message)

God doesn’t miss a thing—
    he’s alert to good and evil alike.

Family

I just got back from Kentucky where I was visiting with Uncle Jim and Aunt Lee Wilburn and Aunt Frankie.  My son, Mike, and grandson, Kristopher, went with me.  What a wonderful time we had reminiscing about the past and hearing stories from long before I was born.

As I was listening to Dad's sisters and brother-in-law, it struck me all over again that I am blessed with a rich spiritual heritage.  Throughout past decades (and even centuries!)  many of my ancestors loved the Lord and served Him with their very lives.  I am sure that many of them prayed for me long before they had any idea I would ever be born.  They have prayed for my children and grandchildren.  I feel confident they even prayed for my yet unborn great-grandchildren and their children!

I am so very blessed!  These ancestors of my mine did not leave me great material wealth but they left me a far greater wealth!  The wealth they left me with will never fade away.  No one can take it away from me.  It has no dependence on the stock market or the current price of gold.  Because of this, I feel compelled to pray for my children, grandchildren and yes even my great-grandchildren, their children and their children.

Dad spoke often about the importance of praying through the generations.  My life can impact lives for decades and centuries to come!  I do not live in vain.  As long as I spend time on my knees in prayer, my life will matter not only to people around me today but to those who are yet unborn!

Deuteronomy 7:6-9 (The Message)

Do this because you are a people set apart as holy to God, your God. God, your God, chose you out of all the people on Earth for himself as a cherished, personal treasure.
God wasn’t attracted to you and didn’t choose you because you were big and important—the fact is, there was almost nothing to you. He did it out of sheer love, keeping the promise he made to your ancestors. God stepped in and mightily bought you back out of that world of slavery, freed you from the iron grip of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Know this: God, your God, is God indeed, a God you can depend upon. He keeps his covenant of loyal love with those who love him and observe his commandments for a thousand generations.

 Hallelujah!  Thank you, Aunt Frankie, Aunt Lee, and Uncle Jim for reminding me not only of the value of our lives but how fleeting time is.  I love you!

Thanks

As my daughter, Stacie, was digging out the Christmas decorations the other day she found a stack of cards.  Who knows why I stuck them in the box with the Christmas stuff but as she scanned through them she found a Thanksgiving card Mom had sent me.

I am not sure when she sent it but it must have been about 4 or 5 years ago.  I think that because she mentioned my son-in-law, Troy.  She most likely sent it shortly after Sarah and Troy were married.  It was just like Mom to be sure that everyone felt included.

The front of the card has a sunflower - my favorite flower - and says "For You, Daughter, and Your Family".  On the inside she wrote "Donna - " just above the printed portion.  She always did that - personalized whatever was written on the card by adding my name just above.  Mom's mother, Gram, always did that, too and so does my Aunt Sis.  Such a nice personal touch.

The printed portion said "May your home be warm with love and happiness on this Thanksgiving Day"

Of course, she always wrote a note herself as well.  Her note on this card is what really got to me.  In her perfect handwriting she wrote:

You will be in our thoughts - we'll miss seeing you, but pray your Day will be filled with joy as you reflect on your many blessings.  We love you and all your "offspring" and thank God for each one - including Troy. 

Mom & Dad


As I read and re-read her note, I thought that her prayers must be just as effective today as they were before her death.  My Thanksgiving Day was filled with joy this year even though I miss Mom and Dad terribly.  I know they would both want it that way.  How thankful I am for the prayers of my faithful parents!

Psalm 22:27-31 (The Message)

From the four corners of the earth
    people are coming to their senses,
    are running back to God.
Long-lost families
    are falling on their faces before him.
God has taken charge;
    from now on he has the last word.

All the power-mongers are before him
    —worshiping!
All the poor and powerless, too
    —worshiping!
Along with those who never got it together
    —worshiping!

Our children and their children
    will get in on this
As the word is passed along
    from parent to child.
Babies not yet conceived
    will hear the good news—
    that God does what he says.

O Come All Ye Faithful

I cannot believe December is here already.  Time just keeps moving right along.  Sometimes I feel Mom and Dad's passing has been forgotten.  The days and months march right along as though nothing happened.  Sometimes my life seems so normal and then something will strike me and their memory comes flooding back.

I attended my first Christmas concert of the season last night.  My son, Mike, was kind enough to escort me.  It was the Vespers program at Milliken University in Decatur, Illinois.  What an eventful evening it was!  I am grateful to my dear friend Eric Hendrickson for providing my son and I with tickets.  The music was heavenly.  I was struck by the discipline of the choir members in their presentation.  The message was divine as well.  I literally had goose bumps from the very first song.

At a few points during evening they had the audience stand and sing along on some of the old standard Christmas carols.  One of the songs they asked us to join in on was "O Come All Ye Faithful".  As we were singing I thought how much Mom and Dad would enjoy this concert.  Then came the verse:

Sing choirs of angels.  Sing in exultation.  
Sing all ye citizens of heaven above.  
Glory to God all glory in the highest.
O come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord. 

As soon as I saw the familiar words, "Sing all ye citizens of heaven above" flash on the screen I immediately thought I could hear Dad's beautiful tenor voice and mom's tender soprano voice singing along with us.  For a moment I could not sing at all.  I just listened.  Are you there?  Are you singing praises to God?

Then the answer came, Yes!  Yes we are singing praises to our Lord right along with you, Donna.  With tears in my eyes I sang the rest of the song with new gusto.  All the citizens of heaven are singing along!

Psalm 149:1-4 (The Message)

 Hallelujah!
Sing to God a brand-new song,
    praise him in the company of all who love him.
Let all Israel celebrate their Sovereign Creator,
    Zion’s children exult in their King.
Let them praise his name in dance;
    strike up the band and make great music!
And why? Because God delights in his people,
    festoons plain folk with salvation garlands!

My Church Family

At church this weekend, our Pastor opened the mics up to anyone who wanted to share a "Thank you".  I just had to say that I am thankful for my family and my church family.  Of course, my family is awesome.  Anyone who has known any member of my family knows how blessed I am.  Wonderful parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, brothers, sister-in-laws, nieces, nephews, not to mention my fantastic children, and grandchildren.  What did I ever do to deserve such a family?

But I have to admit that I am just as blessed when it comes to my church family.  Without them I do not think I could have made it through these past 19 months.  They are a constant source of strength and courage.  They pray for me relentlessly.  They encourage me regularly.  I cannot imagine going through life without them.

Of course, Mom and Dad always encouraged us to be an active part of a good local church.  I know I would not be where I am in my walk with the Lord today had it not been for all the churches I have been a part of in various parts of the world throughout my life but I am especially grateful for First United Methodist Church in Springfield, IL.  Even though I definitely grew up Baptist and do not believe everything the Methodist Church as a denomination teaches, I love my church!  I am grateful that God led me to this church for this phase of my life.

Mom and Dad loved this church, too.  They tried to plan their visits with me so they could attend services if at all possible.  In particular they had come to the Easter services here for several years.  Easter Sunday, April 24, 2011 was the last church service they attended in this world and it was here at my church.

If you do not have a church home, I urge you to find one.  If you live in the Springfield area, I invite you to visit my church.  While we are still in the spirit of Thanksgiving, I just wanted to give a big "shout-out" to my church, my Sunday School teachers, my Bible study gals, my pastors ~ too many to name here personally!  Thank you for all you have done for me and for carrying me through the most difficult time in my life!  I love you all!

Ephesians 1:20-23 (The Message)

All this energy issues from Christ: God raised him from death and set him on a throne in deep heaven, in charge of running the universe, everything from galaxies to governments, no name and no power exempt from his rule. And not just for the time being, but forever. He is in charge of it all, has the final word on everything. At the center of all this, Christ rules the church. The church, you see, is not peripheral to the world; the world is peripheral to the church. The church is Christ’s body, in which he speaks and acts, by which he fills everything with his presence.

Thanksgiving

Sometimes people ask me how I can be happy, go on with my life, smile, etc since Mom and Dad were murdered.  Sometimes I do not but for the most part I do.  I have so much to be thankful for...really.  I am not just saying that.  I mean it from the bottom of my heart.

God keeps using me and blessing me in huge ways.  I have an amazing, loving family.  I have good relationships with my children and grandchildren.  I have wonderful friends.  I have a job I enjoy and fun people working with me.  My church is a blessing to me.  My pastors care about me and pray for me. 

This blog would be very long if I tried to name everyone who has blessed me and supported me.  But without them I doubt I would even be writing this at all.  God has provided richly for me. 

God knows what I need long before I have any inkling that I even need anything.  Nothing that happens to me comes as a surprise to God.  Where would I be without my family?  My church?  My Christian friends and mentors?  My fellow Bible study ladies?  My workplace?  I cannot imagine going through the past 19 months without them.

It does not matter what my circumstances are in this broken world.  My joy is in my Lord who loves me with all His heart.  After all, He gave His only Son to save me!  If you are going through difficult times this Thanksgiving season, I implore you to examine your life and make a list of all the things you can be thankful for.  If you start with the little things, it will not be long until you see the big things that God has provided for you as well.

Psalm 100 (The Message)

A Thanksgiving Psalm

 On your feet now—applaud God!
    Bring a gift of laughter,
    sing yourselves into his presence.

 Know this: God is God, and God, God.
    He made us; we didn’t make him.
    We’re his people, his well-tended sheep. 

 Enter with the password: “Thank you!”
    Make yourselves at home, talking praise.
    Thank him. Worship him.

 For God is sheer beauty,
    all-generous in love,
    loyal always and ever.

Journaling

I had an opportunity to spend a little time talking to Sherry Pittman late this afternoon.  She called me yesterday to see if she could interview me about the jail ministry on her TV show, "Survive and Thrive with Sherry".  I have known Sherry for a number of years as a fellow Christian and Realtor but I did not know that she had a TV show.  Of course, I was thrilled to be able to share the blessings God has poured out on me through the jail ministry.

I was just as excited to get to know Sherry a little bit better and learn some of the interesting things she was doing with her life!  Sherry is a remarkable woman who has accomplished a lot.  One of the things she is doing now is life coaching.  As we talked she shared that she is planning an upcoming seminar and one of the things she wanted to include was a segment on journaling.  She asked if I might think about sharing some of the ways writing has been good for me.

Little did she know that not only is writing a wonderful way for me to deal with losing Mom and Dad in such a horrific way but their journals have been a great comfort to me in the months since they were so abruptly taken from us.  I literally have boxes of notebooks and journals that Mom and Dad both wrote in on a fairly regular basis.  In their writings, they each shared daily events and spiritual awakenings.  How powerful to see how God worked in their lives!

I am truly grateful to have this rich resource.  It was a big part of what inspired me to begin this blog.  I now realize the importance of recording my own journey.  Not only is it healing to me but it helps me to keep a handle on reality.  I trust it will also help my children and grandchildren as they grow in the Lord.

If you don't journal (or the old fashioned term - write in a diary), please consider regularly writing down just one or two things that speak to you.  It does not have to be lengthy and it does not have to be daily.  Just a sentence or two every few days can help you a great deal.  If nothing else, at least keep a prayer journal.  Jot down the things you are praying for and when you see an answer to that prayer make a quick note of how it was answered.  Not only will it help you to remember everything you want to pray about, it will increase your faith as you see answers to prayer.

Psalm 102:18-22 (The Message)

Write this down for the next generation
    so people not yet born will praise God:
“God looked out from his high holy place;
    from heaven he surveyed the earth.
He listened to the groans of the doomed,
    he opened the doors of their death cells.”
Write it so the story can be told in Zion,
    so God’s praise will be sung in Jerusalem’s streets
And wherever people gather together
    along with their rulers to worship him.