Life's Trials

Sometimes it is so hard to understand God's plan for life. The last several days have been pretty hard for me. On Wednesday night I found out that a three year old boy at my church back home was diagnosed with cancer (probably Wilm's Tumor). Then on Thursday night I found out that one of the little babies that I have taken care of on Tuesday night at a local church died of complications from Spina Bifida. It was so shocking and sad to hear of these two events. It is so hard to think that two weeks ago I saw the little boy running around and playing, just being a normal three year old, and now he is so sick with cancer. It was just four or five weeks ago that I held this little baby girl in my arms, trying to comfort her and now she is gone. Nothing like this has ever happened to me before. It is times like these that remind me of what is really important in life and how short it is. I am reminded that really the only thing that matters in this life is whether or not you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. I know that I do and so I don't have to worry about where I am going to go after I die. I know for sure that I will go to heaven, but what about all the people in this world that don't have that assurance. It also reminds me that as a Christian I need to do all I can to reach out to the people around me because nobody know when they are going to die. We can't just have fun and make the decision to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ after we have done what we want to do. We need to do it now because we may not be alive much longer. I'm not trying to be negative, but that is the honest truth. It is during difficult times like these that I turn to Christ and his word for comfort. One of the passages that comes to mind is:

Psalm 46 (NIV)
God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the
earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart
of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging.
There is a river who streams make
glad the city of God,
the holy place where the Most High
dwells.
God is within her; she will not fall;
God will help her at break of day.
Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
he lifts his voice, the earth melts.
The Lord Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Come and see the works of the Lord,
the desolations he has brought on the earth.
He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth;
he break the bow and shatters the spear,
he burns the shields with fire.
Be still and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.
The Lord almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.

It is so important, yet so hard to just be still and know that God is God and that he does have a plan in circumstances like this. Yet this is exactly what God had called us to do, even when His plan does not make sense. I hope that these two stories remind continue to remind us all as Christians of how important it is to share Christ's abounding love with the people around us every day. Please join me in praying for these two families as they go through this very difficult time. (If you are reading this and are not sure that you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and/or you have questions about any of this, please comment and I would be glad to help you with your questions!)