A Rainy Day
by Karen Renfro
Today, May 3, 2007, was the National Day of Prayer, a time of reflection and intercession. In our town, alongside the scheduled events, a quiet, mournfulness was felt by many, nearly to the point of overshadowing the significance of this day.
I needed to write something, so many thoughts going through my mind. The funeral today, how many lives they touched! I am reminded of the verse of Scripture that says if we have hope in this life only we are of all men most miserable. (I Corinthians 15:19) I didn’t even know the family, but my heart goes out to those who are left behind. A little child who is hurt and I’m sure he wants his mommy. A husband who is lonely now without his companion and friend. A daughter who must try to help pick up some of the pieces now that her mother is absent. It is so sad, so very, very sad. It was as if the very heavens mourned all day for them as it rained and rained and rained.
Grief is like rain. It comes in flashes with possible moments of brightness in between, but then it builds once again and the floodgates open to relieve the pressure that has built up. Thank You, Father for the gift of tears. Thank You that You are a high priest who is touched by the feelings of our infirmities. (Hebrews 4:15) I will forever be grateful to You for these gifts.
Everyone has known loss in some form or other. It is part of this life that
we live. Oh, the depths of sorrow man must endure!
“What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and grief to bear.
What a privilege to carry, everything to God in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful?
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness, take it to the Lord in prayer.”
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This is an entry from a little book I am reading: Faith: A Holy Walk, by Oswald Chambers. Each reading is divided into three sections compiled from some of his other writings. His thoughts really made me think and evaluate how I meet the needs of those who need healing.
“If I try to describe in my own heart a bereaved home
and let the sorrow of it weigh with me, instantly my faith in God is gone;
I am so overcome with sympathy and feeling for them that my prayer is nothing
more than a wail of sympathy before God. The telepathic influence of my mind
on another, whether I speak or not, is so subtle that the prince of this world
will use it to prevent my getting hold of God.”
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Do I love to speak truth or do I just love to speak?
Do I speak to bless others or to get them to bless me?
Does my compassion build confidence in God or
create dependency on me?
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It is righteous behavior that brings blessing on others, and the heart of faith sees that God is working things out well.
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