Picking up the pieces

Luke 22:41-43
41He withdrew about a stone's throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, 42"Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." 43An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him.

The lights are coming back on, trucks are bringing in supplies, and the government is jumping in to bail out the economy. All the lifelines are in place and it is now time to pick up the pieces left. These are perhaps the most dangerous of times that many could face. These are the times when it is easy to lose faith. It is when we are left with nothing, that many might find it hard to look to tomorrow with hope, let alone make it through another hour.

There is something to be said for an abrupt change in lifestyle. For people to be worried about making their next impulse buy, and in an instant be worried if they will be able to afford, or even locate the bare minimum to survive. It is the hard sting of reality that sometimes is too much to bear. The battle line is drawn, and how we respond to these times will decide how we will recover.

If we think back to Moses, Abraham, Joseph, the Apostles, Paul, even Christ, they all had moments when their lives looked pretty bleak. There were times that they asked God to change their path, for they did not want to bear any more. They all had moments that tested their faith. They all chose to rise to the challenge, steeled by their faith in the Lord.

These are the models that we should follow. We all can hang our heads and ask why. We can shake our fists at the sky and blame God for our woes. We can even choose to withdraw into a reclusive state and let ourselves become drawn down by depression, and self pity. We CAN do all of those things, but that does not mean we should.

We are children of the most high God. We should look to the future, and the season of rebuilding that lies ahead. Yes the task ahead may look daunting, but just as Caleb knew the strength of the Lord, we too must place our trust in the foundation of our lives, and that is Jesus Christ.

While the world moves on and uses each day to relive the horror, you will hear many say that someone should have, or they could have, or why didn’t they…..all of that is of no importance. What matters is that you are alive, you still are drawing a breath, and that is what counts. We were all given the gift of another day. A new day to start again, and that is what we all should do. If your fortune is gone, start looking for a way to build again, if your house is gone, perhaps there are things that you have always wanted that you can now put into your new house. Yes it sounds simple, and I know that there is a lot more to it than just “doing it” but the point is you have to start, and the best place to start is by giving thanks to the Lord that you are still alive, and that you get another chance, there will be many that do not.

Peace,
Rev. Thetford