Wrestling with Words and Water
by Brenda Black
As articles spew facts, forecasts, water depths and wave heights from two separate news events this past weekend, speculations and shocking responses gush forth just as furiously. Teenager Abby Sunderland was rescued amid 30 foot crashing waves from her sail boat in the Indian Ocean, while entire families were swept away by 23 foot flash floods in the Arkansas Mountains. Harsh opinions and bold defenses have surfaced for the 16 year old adventurer. Deep sympathy and numbed silence grip lonely survivors who remain to face the horror of losing a spouse or child or both instantly. Each headliner begs the question: Is any place truly safe?
I've read both cruel and compassionate feedback to these stories. I've wrestled with my own cynicism toward the one and tearful sympathy for the others. And I've had to stop and think how often we are quick to judge another's judgement.
The teen mariner, experienced beyond her years according to her boat-building father who taught her how to sail, set out to fulfill a dream. She wanted to prove something to herself and others who might notice her sea savvy grit. Her boat was equipped with high tech communication systems and the hull stocked with ample provisions. She just never counted on a 30 foot wave. Could she have anticipated it? Possibly. Could she stop it? No.
The families that ventured into the Arkansas hills for some tranquility simply set out to get away from it all and enjoy the great outdoors along a peaceful creek bank. They had nothing to prove except to teach little ones how to cook a hot dog over an open fire or catch a minnow along the water's edge. Their tents and campers were packed with paper goods, life jackets and snacks enough for the weekend. High tech gadgets like cell phones and computers were put to rest intentionally. They just never counted on needing them and they never expected the sudden rise of a trickling stream during their sleep to engulf them. Could they have anticipated it? Possibly. Could they stop it? No.
No matter how prepared or trained, the fact remains: we never know what we'll ultimately face each day. On solid ground rather than rolling waves, we can crash during a quick trip to town. Even if we heed the warnings of approaching storms and shelter ourselves in concrete bunkers, there is no guarantee we'll survive the fury of a tornado. Life is precious. Life is precarious. We should never be so presumptuous to think any one exempt from tragedy or sudden death.
That's why it is imperative that we live life ready for the waves. Not in fear or dread. But prepared. Not in gloomy doom. But in great security that no matter what unexpected force blows our way, we face it with courage and confidence. What a tremendous peace is offered to those in dire circumstances and those left to deal with the grievous loss, if they know the crashing forces in this life launch us to a fairer shore.
As I check my own quick judgement on the judgements of others, I pray that these families caught unaware and a young girl bold beyond her years know the Creator of the seas and the rivers and the rains. It is His judgement that matters, not mine. It is His will that Sunderland was spared. It is His mercy that will heal broken lives of shocked campers. It His desire that people be ready at all times in all places because we just never know if this day is our last. So live your life pursuing your dreams. Just make sure the passion you pursue brings you closer to the Lord. And spend your time where you enjoy. Just make sure that wherever you camp, you dwell near the heart of God.
“'For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.'” (John 3:16-17)
May the Lord make each of us ready for what we may anticipate, but what we cannot change.
Need something for a great summer read? How about a stirring biography, a daily devotional or a rainy day story for the grandchildren. Visit http://www.thewordsout-brendablack.com and get your summer started with a book by Brenda.
Showing posts with label judgement. Show all posts
Showing posts with label judgement. Show all posts
Monday, June 14, 2010
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
What a Wonder You Are
What a Wonder You Are
By Brenda Black
I wonder – Does the Lord who never sleeps wait each morning to dip His finger into the sea. With the color from the coral reef, does He swirl them across dawning horizon with grandiose brush-like sweeps. Or does He set things in motion from the dawn of time, knowing each day ahead of its arrival for a million and beyond. Will every sunrise sky-scape He's designed appear across the vast universe right on time. He is, remember, omniscient. “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” (Jeremiah 33:3)
Or does the God of Wonders commission sun, wind, moon and water each new day to be at the ready. He lets them shine and blow their way into fog, heat, breezes and tempests and watches expectantly.
Though He allows the fare and stormy weather to come as circumstances beckon, are they lengthened or averted as man glorifies or cries out in prayer. “The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their cry;...The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles.” (Psalm 34:15, 17)
I wonder - Are the sunsets assigned marching orders so that somewhere in the world each evening one should be so breathtaking as to compel worship for its General. Are twilights bottled somewhere beyond the heavens in a celestial warehouse and delivered on schedule. “The Mighty One, God, the Lord, speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to the place where it sets.” (Ps. 50:1) He calls extravagant clouds, blackened downpours and spontaneous rainbows, this artist behind ever-changing heavenly masterpieces that grace our world. Oh, what a wonder you are!
“Praise the Lord, O my soul. O Lord, my God, you are very great; you are clothed with splendor and majesty. He wraps himself in light as with a garment; he stretches out the heavens like a tent and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters. He makes the clouds his chariot and rides on the wings of the wind. He makes winds his messengers, flames of fire his servants.
“He set the earth on its foundations; it can never be moved. You covered with the deep as with a garment; the waters stood above the mountains. But at your rebuke the waters fled, at the sound of your thunder they took to flight; they flowed over the mountains, they went down into the valleys, to the place you assigned for them. You set a boundary they cannot cross; never again will they cover the earth.
“He makes springs pour water into the ravines; it flows between the mountains. They give water to all the beasts of the field; the wild donkeys quench their thirst. The birds of the air nest by the waters; they sing among the branches. He waters the mountains from his upper chambers; the earth is satisfied by the fruit of his work. He makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for man to cultivate – bringing forth food from the earth: wine that gladdens the heart of man, oil to make his face shine, and bread that sustains his heart.
The trees of the Lord are well watered, the cedars of Lebanon that he planted. There the birds make their nests; the stork has its home in the pine trees. The high mountains belong to the wild goats; the crags are a refuge for the coneys.
“The moon marks off the seasons, and the sun knows when to go down. You bring darkness, it becomes night, and all the beasts of the forest prowl. The lions roar for their prey and seek their food from God. The sun rises, and they steal away; they return to lie down in their dens. Then man goes out to his work, to his labor until evening.
“How many are your works, O Lord! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures...I will sing to the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. May my meditation be pleasing to him as I rejoice in the Lord. But may sinners vanish from the earth and the wicked be no more. Praise the Lord, O my soul. Praise the Lord.” (Ps. 104:1-25, 33-35)
While we watch the evil loom larger and destruction of a planet perfectly made, may we look to the heavens and find God faithful in all of His ways. His mercies are new every morning and His creative touches are forever before us. To ignore so great a testimony of divine orchestration is simply ignorant and dangerous. “For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.” (Romans 1:20)
One day, the heavens will roll back, the sun and moon and stars will shine no more, for the light of the Holy One will take their place. In that heavenly city, it “does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.” (Revelation 21:23)
I wonder - Who will you acknowledge then – when you stand before the Master Painter who graced your days with beauty and privilege only to watch man take it for granted and wallow in self-praise. “'Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End...I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David and the bright MORNING STAR.'” (Rev. 22:12-13, 16)
No wonder the sunrise sings His praise. No wonder the sun sets without fear of darkness. No wonder the winds and waters obey. All of nature knows better than man himself – the God of Wonders is worthy of honor and glory every morning, noon and night.
By Brenda Black
I wonder – Does the Lord who never sleeps wait each morning to dip His finger into the sea. With the color from the coral reef, does He swirl them across dawning horizon with grandiose brush-like sweeps. Or does He set things in motion from the dawn of time, knowing each day ahead of its arrival for a million and beyond. Will every sunrise sky-scape He's designed appear across the vast universe right on time. He is, remember, omniscient. “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” (Jeremiah 33:3)
Or does the God of Wonders commission sun, wind, moon and water each new day to be at the ready. He lets them shine and blow their way into fog, heat, breezes and tempests and watches expectantly.
Though He allows the fare and stormy weather to come as circumstances beckon, are they lengthened or averted as man glorifies or cries out in prayer. “The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their cry;...The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles.” (Psalm 34:15, 17)
I wonder - Are the sunsets assigned marching orders so that somewhere in the world each evening one should be so breathtaking as to compel worship for its General. Are twilights bottled somewhere beyond the heavens in a celestial warehouse and delivered on schedule. “The Mighty One, God, the Lord, speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to the place where it sets.” (Ps. 50:1) He calls extravagant clouds, blackened downpours and spontaneous rainbows, this artist behind ever-changing heavenly masterpieces that grace our world. Oh, what a wonder you are!“Praise the Lord, O my soul. O Lord, my God, you are very great; you are clothed with splendor and majesty. He wraps himself in light as with a garment; he stretches out the heavens like a tent and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters. He makes the clouds his chariot and rides on the wings of the wind. He makes winds his messengers, flames of fire his servants.
“He set the earth on its foundations; it can never be moved. You covered with the deep as with a garment; the waters stood above the mountains. But at your rebuke the waters fled, at the sound of your thunder they took to flight; they flowed over the mountains, they went down into the valleys, to the place you assigned for them. You set a boundary they cannot cross; never again will they cover the earth.
“He makes springs pour water into the ravines; it flows between the mountains. They give water to all the beasts of the field; the wild donkeys quench their thirst. The birds of the air nest by the waters; they sing among the branches. He waters the mountains from his upper chambers; the earth is satisfied by the fruit of his work. He makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for man to cultivate – bringing forth food from the earth: wine that gladdens the heart of man, oil to make his face shine, and bread that sustains his heart.
The trees of the Lord are well watered, the cedars of Lebanon that he planted. There the birds make their nests; the stork has its home in the pine trees. The high mountains belong to the wild goats; the crags are a refuge for the coneys.“The moon marks off the seasons, and the sun knows when to go down. You bring darkness, it becomes night, and all the beasts of the forest prowl. The lions roar for their prey and seek their food from God. The sun rises, and they steal away; they return to lie down in their dens. Then man goes out to his work, to his labor until evening.
“How many are your works, O Lord! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures...I will sing to the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. May my meditation be pleasing to him as I rejoice in the Lord. But may sinners vanish from the earth and the wicked be no more. Praise the Lord, O my soul. Praise the Lord.” (Ps. 104:1-25, 33-35)
While we watch the evil loom larger and destruction of a planet perfectly made, may we look to the heavens and find God faithful in all of His ways. His mercies are new every morning and His creative touches are forever before us. To ignore so great a testimony of divine orchestration is simply ignorant and dangerous. “For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.” (Romans 1:20)
One day, the heavens will roll back, the sun and moon and stars will shine no more, for the light of the Holy One will take their place. In that heavenly city, it “does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.” (Revelation 21:23)
I wonder - Who will you acknowledge then – when you stand before the Master Painter who graced your days with beauty and privilege only to watch man take it for granted and wallow in self-praise. “'Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End...I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David and the bright MORNING STAR.'” (Rev. 22:12-13, 16)
No wonder the sunrise sings His praise. No wonder the sun sets without fear of darkness. No wonder the winds and waters obey. All of nature knows better than man himself – the God of Wonders is worthy of honor and glory every morning, noon and night.
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