This incident happened a few years back.
I was at my parents' house in Oregon. We were getting ready to go over to the coast for a family reunion. Dad was going on ahead with the trailer, my nephew and my youngest son. Mom, my daughter and I were going to follow after we finished loading more stuff into the Durango.
Right before Dad left, I start having nerves, flashing that something bad was going to happen.
Now, I'm an artist and writer, so I am prone to vain imaginings. But this was strong, really strong.
So under my breath, just barely a whisper, I started praying over my Dad, nephew and son, rebuking Satan , telling him to get away from my family, that God watches over us and we were safe from him.
After a few minutes, I felt better. I always do when I lay things in the Lord's most capable hands.
Off they went, pulling the big trailer, with my little boy in back seat. It wasn't too long and we too were on our way.
When we arrived, ohmygosh, there was a tale to tell.
Dad was driving on 199, a winding 2 lane highway. It's wide enough, but there are times that the river is on one side and a rock embankment is on the other, with blind corners.
So he's cruising along, minding his own business, coming up on one of those blind corners. All of a sudden, a car appears, FLYING around this corner and in his lane!
Thank the Lord -- Dad used to drive truck. This fool was coming head on and there was no where to go, so Dad laid on the brakes, keeping the trailer under control. He said he has no idea how this idiot managed to get back into his own lane, but he did, at the last possible minute.
Whew!!
My son was asleep in the back seat, he had no idea what had happened.
But I know. I know how that fool got over and the accident was avoided. It was the Lord, laying a Mighty Hand upon my Dad, keeping him straight and giving him just enough time to brake, just enough time to avoid that speeding fool.
Premonition, prayer and protection. I know the Spirit was warning me. I prayed. And the Lord again protected my family.
It is a matter of Faith, like always. God watches over us and He helps us on the Path He's laid before us.
Thank you Lord, once more, for the protection You laid on my family that day. We had a wonderful reunion, thanks to You. And again, Amen, Amen, and Amen.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Saturday, October 6, 2007
Why Are People So Cruel?
You know, sometimes I really, really wonder about people.
Why are they so eager to cause a fight? Why are people so cruel?
Today I was in a forum and we were talking about that poor young woman, Nailah Franklin, who was missing, then found dead. A perfectly respectful conversation between myself and another woman. We agreed that she was murdered (not likely she partially buried her naked body before dying) and that it sounded pretty stupid for the cops to say that it was a "death investigation". Then some doofus troll just jumped into the middle of the conversation.
Of course, we ripped him to shreds, left him twisting in the wind. But how DARE he suggest that this poor victim could have died of an overdose, been buried by her (supposed) druggie friends? Excuse me, Nailah doesn't deserve that kind of slander. She was a fine, upstanding young woman with a successful career, a beautiful smile, a loving family. Like many, many other victims of terrible crimes.
What made this jerk think it was OK to speak badly of the dead? What was his agenda? I can speculate that it was because she was a young Black woman, so he felt that it was acceptable to imply that she was not "up to his standards" in her life. That it's OK to make horrible assumptions about her merely because of her race. But why? Why be a jerk about someone that he's never met, will never know? Why was all that necessary?
And while I'm ranting about jerks, I'd been reading comments on an early news article, before she was found. Many people were offering prayers for the victim. The article itself said that the family was praying. Then, in the midst of comments, some self righteous atheist has to pop up that God is just a fairy tale.
Hello?? Who asked him/her? If the family is praying for a miracle, it's certainly appropriate for the public to offer prayers!
Why is it that some atheists have the gall to complain about us Christians talking about God, that we're trying to push OUR beliefs on others, that we don't respect their unbelief, and then turn around and tell us that we can't offer our prayers to other Believers? Who the heck asked his/her opinion?
Now, I'm fully aware that some Christians think that cramming Jesus down an unbeliever's throat will somehow get them into Heaven. I don't believe in that method of sharing His Love to others. That is not part of the Plan.
No, no, we live by example. When others ask why we're so lucky, we get to share how we've been Blessed. And then pause, let that person ASK. If they're ready, they will. If they're not, then I've planted a Seed.
Seed. Time. Harvest.
Once the Seed has been planted, it needs to be watered, nurtured. Not weed-whacked off by some zealot who's trying to force a Harvest instead of giving enough Time for Faith to grow.
I don't need to be a Rambo Christian. I can be a softer, gentler person and just try to shine a Light into a dark place. I don't need a welding torch to do it. I can light a little candle of Hope into someone's life, and try to be an example of His Love -- the one that Jesus told me to be.
But you know, I wish more of my Brothers and Sisters in Christ had the FAITH of the atheist. Some atheists are so darn faithful to the belief of nothingness, they follow it like it's a religion. For them, it really is.
And I pity them, because they are off in the ditch, not knowing what they're missing by rejecting the Best this world can offer them.
Still, if only all Christians could Believe the way some atheists believe. Think of what we could do to help others if we all Walked the Walk instead of just Talking the Talk. If we had the Faith in all that Jesus has offered us.
If only...
Today though, instead of continuing to worry myself about mean and cruel people, I'll focus for a few minutes on Nailah Franklin and her family.
I pray for peace in their hearts and comfort in knowing that whatever happened, she's now with our Lord in Paradise. And nothing in this messed up world can hurt her again. In Jesus' holy name, Amen, Amen, and Amen.
Why are they so eager to cause a fight? Why are people so cruel?
Today I was in a forum and we were talking about that poor young woman, Nailah Franklin, who was missing, then found dead. A perfectly respectful conversation between myself and another woman. We agreed that she was murdered (not likely she partially buried her naked body before dying) and that it sounded pretty stupid for the cops to say that it was a "death investigation". Then some doofus troll just jumped into the middle of the conversation.
Of course, we ripped him to shreds, left him twisting in the wind. But how DARE he suggest that this poor victim could have died of an overdose, been buried by her (supposed) druggie friends? Excuse me, Nailah doesn't deserve that kind of slander. She was a fine, upstanding young woman with a successful career, a beautiful smile, a loving family. Like many, many other victims of terrible crimes.
What made this jerk think it was OK to speak badly of the dead? What was his agenda? I can speculate that it was because she was a young Black woman, so he felt that it was acceptable to imply that she was not "up to his standards" in her life. That it's OK to make horrible assumptions about her merely because of her race. But why? Why be a jerk about someone that he's never met, will never know? Why was all that necessary?
And while I'm ranting about jerks, I'd been reading comments on an early news article, before she was found. Many people were offering prayers for the victim. The article itself said that the family was praying. Then, in the midst of comments, some self righteous atheist has to pop up that God is just a fairy tale.
Hello?? Who asked him/her? If the family is praying for a miracle, it's certainly appropriate for the public to offer prayers!
Why is it that some atheists have the gall to complain about us Christians talking about God, that we're trying to push OUR beliefs on others, that we don't respect their unbelief, and then turn around and tell us that we can't offer our prayers to other Believers? Who the heck asked his/her opinion?
Now, I'm fully aware that some Christians think that cramming Jesus down an unbeliever's throat will somehow get them into Heaven. I don't believe in that method of sharing His Love to others. That is not part of the Plan.
No, no, we live by example. When others ask why we're so lucky, we get to share how we've been Blessed. And then pause, let that person ASK. If they're ready, they will. If they're not, then I've planted a Seed.
Seed. Time. Harvest.
Once the Seed has been planted, it needs to be watered, nurtured. Not weed-whacked off by some zealot who's trying to force a Harvest instead of giving enough Time for Faith to grow.
I don't need to be a Rambo Christian. I can be a softer, gentler person and just try to shine a Light into a dark place. I don't need a welding torch to do it. I can light a little candle of Hope into someone's life, and try to be an example of His Love -- the one that Jesus told me to be.
But you know, I wish more of my Brothers and Sisters in Christ had the FAITH of the atheist. Some atheists are so darn faithful to the belief of nothingness, they follow it like it's a religion. For them, it really is.
And I pity them, because they are off in the ditch, not knowing what they're missing by rejecting the Best this world can offer them.
Still, if only all Christians could Believe the way some atheists believe. Think of what we could do to help others if we all Walked the Walk instead of just Talking the Talk. If we had the Faith in all that Jesus has offered us.
If only...
Today though, instead of continuing to worry myself about mean and cruel people, I'll focus for a few minutes on Nailah Franklin and her family.
I pray for peace in their hearts and comfort in knowing that whatever happened, she's now with our Lord in Paradise. And nothing in this messed up world can hurt her again. In Jesus' holy name, Amen, Amen, and Amen.
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