This month I am preaching a series entitled "Kingdom Tools for Transformation." The idea is that God uses things in our lives to transform us... to change us ( Romans 8:29). Each week has highlighted a different thing... Leadership, A book called the Bible, and Servanthood (today). Next week we will talk about the Transforming power of Crisis.
I hesitated when I put this together to go there... It was about three months ago, and I had begun preaching again. I had seen so many good things from the stroke, and I knew that God has used it in a great way in my life.
It was also a great time in our church. There didn't seem to be alot of big crisis' in the church. It seemed like for weeks that we had no one in the hospital.. and nothing really huge brewing on the horizon.
Ah.....I knew that it would change. In the past three weeks we have seen a 19 year old commit suicide... unbelieveable! Such pain and sorrow, and yet we saw God work in a family's life. Then another young man (early 40's) was diagnosed with Cancer of the Esophegus... Very devastaing... to the family. We are privlidge to work with Lori (His wife). Any way... on friday after 8 hours of surgery, he is on the mend. But it is a long road.
In addition to that we have another young man ( 30's) who was diagnosed with Luekemia.. Not the worst kind, but a bad deal. The doctors are optimistic... but the treatment is tough...very tough.
Another young woman slipped and fell on ice and fractured her hip, and finds herself in a wheelchair. Another family is dealing with issues in their homes. Some are dealing with job changes, and even transfers...
Another man and his wife were in the back row today. They are in their 90's and 80's. He is suffering from Alzhiemers, and she is frail. But they were in church, singing the fast songs that we sing in 2nd service.
Each one of these circumstances present a crisis... and each one of them present an opportunity. I am not one to believe that God selects people for specific crisis' to teach them something. That many happen some times, but I think alot of things kind of just happen... as a result of nature, sometimes a result of bad choices...sometimes bad choices made by others... and sometimes there is no real explanation.
But I believe that God can use every circumstance in our life. There are things we can learn. Some lessons are not the earth-shattering..We have to learn to take care of ourselves... We need to learn to lean on others in our time of need. And most certainly we lean on God.
As I talk to people who find themselves in these tough times, it brings me back to 9 months ago. My life was uncertain. I wondered what the future held for me and my family. I wondered what I would get back and how I would react. I wondered if I really had the courage and discipline to change things in my life. I never doubted that God would be there for me...or my wife and kids...or the church. I just knew that I had better change some things and work on some attitudes and actions in my life...
We are all faced with times in our lives when we have to make a choice. We have to choose between fighting on with the help of God, or giving in. These last two weeks I have been inspired by a husband and wife who are wanting to fight on, inspite of the death of their boy. I have visited with a man who faced a terribly difficult surgery and said to me, "I want to live and I will have this surgery." I have seen a young man who has Luekemia and even though treatment is tough, he plowing though it, with the help of a wonderful wife and a strong church. Today, Valerie, ( Broken hip) was in church in a wheelchair. And Bill and Ilene...so faithful for so many years... Wow!
All of them have something in common with me... I have been there... and all of us had the same things going for us... A great and merciful God, a loving and committed family, and a strong prayer driven church that is willing to drop everything to help.
I am rich.... so are they. We could win the lottery... and if we turned our back on God, our families and the church, we would be the poorest of the poor.
So when I preach this Sunday on Crisis, I preach from experience...but not just my own...
God is good.
Charlie
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