One "small crime" and so many are affected.
We have had another child affected by crime. In fact the child is the perpetrator of the crime and, because of being only 16 years of age, is protected from some of the normal aftermath of such an incident. We have little information how this Sunday morning mistake happened: distracted driving, lack of awareness, emotional upset, all of which I was certainly guilty of as a new driver. Yet her error resulted in a car accident that lead to a pedestrian death. Is she remorseful, defensive? Is her family tending her wisely? Is she working with a mental health professional as well as the attorney? Because of her age we may never know, but pray for her I do.
One of the positives in the situation is that with no information printable about the driver, the focus has been on the pedestrian killed: a man in his 40s whose errors in life have been broadly reported along with stories of his renewed faith, a life on the mend and a generous heart. For each of us who has prayed for a wayward child to find his way back to a productive life, it is particularly poignant. So thoughts of his mother and family call forth prayers from my heart.
This story touched my heart in many ways, but every newspaper is filled with people whose lives have been disrupted by their own errors or the errors of others. So often churches are good about helping half of the hurting, but shunning and judging in ways that are harmful to the other half. When I read this story I find only people who needed love, care, tenderness and healing.
As followers of Christ we are called to offer comfort, hope and truth to all of God's children. Some of us are more lovely than others, but all stand in need (and by God's Grace have a legitimate call upon each and all of us) for what God has given us in such abundance: reconciliation, redemption, renewal and a life of hope and purpose.
Have you attended a church where you were treated unkindly? Don't you want to make sure that someone who is looking for hope, forgiveness and a new life have good people to meet them at the church door so they might have a better experience than you had? So keep looking for a church where you can BE the person doing God's work of welcoming, accepting, instructing and loving.
We so desperately need each other to be the hands and feet of God for each other.
Won't you pray the news this week and consider how you can be Jesus in someone else's life?
Hebrews 10:25 We must not quit meeting together, as some are doing. No, we need to keep on encouraging each other. This becomes more and more important as you see the Day getting closer.
We have had another child affected by crime. In fact the child is the perpetrator of the crime and, because of being only 16 years of age, is protected from some of the normal aftermath of such an incident. We have little information how this Sunday morning mistake happened: distracted driving, lack of awareness, emotional upset, all of which I was certainly guilty of as a new driver. Yet her error resulted in a car accident that lead to a pedestrian death. Is she remorseful, defensive? Is her family tending her wisely? Is she working with a mental health professional as well as the attorney? Because of her age we may never know, but pray for her I do.
One of the positives in the situation is that with no information printable about the driver, the focus has been on the pedestrian killed: a man in his 40s whose errors in life have been broadly reported along with stories of his renewed faith, a life on the mend and a generous heart. For each of us who has prayed for a wayward child to find his way back to a productive life, it is particularly poignant. So thoughts of his mother and family call forth prayers from my heart.
This story touched my heart in many ways, but every newspaper is filled with people whose lives have been disrupted by their own errors or the errors of others. So often churches are good about helping half of the hurting, but shunning and judging in ways that are harmful to the other half. When I read this story I find only people who needed love, care, tenderness and healing.
As followers of Christ we are called to offer comfort, hope and truth to all of God's children. Some of us are more lovely than others, but all stand in need (and by God's Grace have a legitimate call upon each and all of us) for what God has given us in such abundance: reconciliation, redemption, renewal and a life of hope and purpose.
Have you attended a church where you were treated unkindly? Don't you want to make sure that someone who is looking for hope, forgiveness and a new life have good people to meet them at the church door so they might have a better experience than you had? So keep looking for a church where you can BE the person doing God's work of welcoming, accepting, instructing and loving.
We so desperately need each other to be the hands and feet of God for each other.
Won't you pray the news this week and consider how you can be Jesus in someone else's life?
Hebrews 10:25 We must not quit meeting together, as some are doing. No, we need to keep on encouraging each other. This becomes more and more important as you see the Day getting closer.
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