This week in our community we had a terrible thing happen. A young man on his eleventh birthday wanted to do nothing more than to go gigging with his family. So he loaded up with his dad, grandpa and great uncle and out they went. All four of them died in the cold waters. A lady lost her dad, husband, son, and uncle in one night. Today, I got the chance to just hang around the school. I got to listen to people, pray for people, and pray with people. I just wanted to make a few observations.
1. Life Sucks. It doesn't all of the time, but sometimes it does really, really bad. There aren't any magic words for a situation like that. It makes me long desperately for the day I will dwell with God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away Revelations 21:4
2. There are a lot of people of faith in my town. It's easy as a pastor to rank the kinds of Christians that go to your church. Like I can see their hearts and gauge their passion for Jesus. I don't know how I can see sometimes with the giant plank in my eye. What I saw today is a lot of people have a faith in God that gets them through. I was so privileged to see the good in people and as a pastor it makes me want to draw it out of people even more. There was a man who owns a restaurant in a nearby town that heard the story and decided that he would cater the whole funeral dinner by himself for free. How wonderful!
3. Be there for people. I was nervous about going. I was in way over my head. I don't know what to say to people. 20 of the teachers probably came to me and told me how glad they were that there were pastors there. You don't have to say much, just let people know that you love them.
4. God is so good. I would rather not have another day like this for the rest of my life. However, God was there. He teaches so much. What a wonderful thing that God would use a piece of work like me.
Pray for them
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