Pray for Paris

I was gone a good bit of the day yesterday – Starbucks to write early, the gym mid afternoon, and a meeting last night – but I fully intended to blog when I got home about 8:30. When I was leaving my meeting, all I knew was that there had been a drive-by shooting in Paris and that about 100 people were being held hostage at a theater. On my way home, Mom texted me to say that she couldn’t believe people were worried over a red holiday cup at Starbucks – thanks, Mom, I drank from one when I was at Starbucks – but I knew from the tone of the message trouble was afoot in the world. At a stoplight, I pulled up my DrudgeReport app and read of the carnage in Paris. My blog seemed miniscule in the face of such a senseless atrocity (my personal preference is not to use the word “tragedy” when referring to the atrocities perpetrated by evil men), and I chose not to blog.

But, I need to share some thoughts. My blog is about adversity. My blog is about faith. My blog this month is about thanksgiving. We all need a healthy dose of that this morning.

In light of terrorism, I want to mention some things that I just need to get over. I’m not referring to this post as a “Day of Thanksgiving” in the title (just doesn’t feel right), but this post is about thanksgiving. You see, I’m thankful that I have small things in my life to get over.

• A loss by my beloved University of Kentucky Wildcats. I’ve been known to go to bed despondent and to be depressed for days after a Wildcat loss. But, I still have family with whom I watched the game and I still have friends to give me grief over that loss.
• The red light that takes too long. I hate driving. One reason I hate driving is that I spend so much time at red lights around Roanoke. I want to get where I’m going and get there quickly. But, great acts of barbarism teach me that maybe it’s time to slow down and live life instead of rushing through life.
• Politics. If you know me well, you know that I decided in my heart of hearts long before yesterday that politics doesn’t really matter. God is sovereign and God reigns regardless of current political moods. That hope becomes sweeter when I see carnage.
• Scratches on my new car. I have a 2015 Prius, and I absolutely adore that car (say what you will, but if you were getting 55 MPG, you’d love it, too). On both sides there are a couple scratches from shopping carts or doors in a parking lot. Who cares? It’s going to rust and wear out anyway.
• Dystonia. Yep, neurological problems have changed my life: robbing me of a career I deeply loved, making the dreaded wheelchair a looming reality, and racking my body with pain. But, I’m still alive.
• Finances. The waiting game between leaving preaching and disability kicking in is a worrisome time. But, Paris helps put that in perspective – everything I have or could have will burn up one day and God still promises to provide.
• My weight. Those of you who know me know that I’m trying to lose weight. My health necessitates that I lose weight – I do not need diabetes and heart disease on top of my dystonia. The lighter I am the easier my mobility. But, maybe if I don’t reach my goal when I want to, it’s not the end of the world. After all, I still have an intact body that needs to lose weight.

In the coming days, we as the people of God have many opportunities to share our Lord’s message of peace and hope. We can demonstrate to the world that we have a hope that endures the great trials of life. We can demonstrate to the world that we have a home beyond this temporary abode. We can demonstrate to the world that we have a Savior who suffered but who conquered death in the process.

Each one of us has great opportunities. We can learn that the petty things simply don’t matter. We can pray for those affected by the senseless acts in Paris. We can minister to those around us and sow hope and peace.

May God bless all the nations of the world! May God bless each of you. May God walk with you as He has walked with me.