In recent years, several friends have experienced tragedy and pain in the loss of a child.  Our neighbors lost their son in a car accident.  One of our adult and online students recently lost two family members as a result of a shooting.  These friends know the Lord, but will never “get over” the loss, and need God’s grace to deal with the pain.  I pray God will receive the glory through the pain in life. As we also reflect on the tragic loss of life last week in Connecticut, please read the poem and meditate on the Scriptures that follow.

Lord, Your gift of life is amazing

The freedom and vitality to daily live

To breathe and walk and move

intellect and emotions — free to give

Each day a gift from you:

Minutes, hours and opportunities

While new lives are continually born

and some quickly taken to their eternities

The enemy corrupts and tries to destroy

the daily glorification by all of the Lord:

crime

drama

and news of impending pain

— all to sidetrack — deny God — bring discord.

As we move and converse, the days go by

— never thinking of the value each one holds

Sudden events bring us to clear realization:

the value of each breath and day  — like precious gold.

Our children

 siblings

 and parents

so closely connected and to us related,

We seldom express the love and blessing                         

until  departure causes our thoughts belated

God’s greatest gift to you is given

when life eternal is yours from His Son;

Belief in the Savior who paid for our sins —

the penalty we so deserved — declared “done!”

Some deny His gift as too easy,

refusing to “lessen” themselves and confess

But God seeks the lost sinner:

smart, yet inadequate, he’ll profess.

But equally tragic ~ another gift denied,

we who are saved simply live day to day;

never noting the opportunity and liberty

to cherish the people whose names we say

So, stop

…just one moment

…event

…or task

And thank God

…for the person

…the gift

… just the chance

to live on this earth

be related and live     

and express love for others

their lives to enhance.

Ephesians 4:15-16:  Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Him who is the Head, that is, Christ.  From Him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 Therefore we do not lose heart.  Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.  For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.  So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.  For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.