Matters of the Minor and the Major

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” 

Martin Luther King, Jr.

 

John and I just returned from the first half – first leg, if you will, of our Love and War tour.  And what an honor.  Really.  To speak about things that matter.  Our marriages.  Our hearts.  Our God.  JESUS.

 

And to have the opportunity to meet so many of my brothers and sisters this side of Heaven!  To look into their eyes and see the life of Jesus or the hunger for Jesus.  Desperate hearts.  Grateful hearts.  Hopeful hearts.  The hearts of men and women engaged in the most important battle on earth.  Fighting for their spouse, their children, their friends, their own hearts…fighting with God for the good.   For what matters.

 

Our first stop was Abilene, Texas!  Once we landed, we saw a large private jet being loaded with boxes upon boxes.  Then we saw many pairs of new crutches going onto the plane.  That’s when we guessed the plane was headed to Haiti.  We were right.

 

We got home late yesterday afternoon and we weren’t home long before our youngest son, Luke asked permission to go out.  He wanted to go to a concert given by a friend at a local coffee shop.  They were taking donations; raising money for a ministry in Uganda that helps to rescue women and girls being trafficked in the sex trade.  Yes, Luke.  You bet.  You can go.  Money’s in my wallet.  Drive safe.

 

I am being struck again by the major and minor themes of life.  Suffering.  Anguish.  Pain.  Death.  Destruction.  The enemy.  Yes, true enough and strong.  But the minor theme.  My eyes are opened again to Mercy.  Generosity.  Healing.  Love.  Forgiveness.  Hope.  Tenderness.  Life.  Resurrection.  Jesus.  The major theme.

 

Love conquers all.

 

Life conquers death.

 

Jesus conquered the enemy.

 

We are more than conquerors in Him.

 

What a great gift to be alive in Christ, to have his life and his love pour through us, to live for Him, to offer Jesus.  What an amazing thing it is to live a life that matters.

January 2010

I’m caught in the tension between love and war, between life and death.  John and I just returned from spending four restful days together, unplugged from the demands of our world, replenishing our hearts in the beauty and love of God and the delightful companionship of each other.  It was good.  It was very good.

 

We drove to our destination and once very close, we passed a horrible accident on the other side of the road.  People had been killed.  Bodies were being draped with whatever motorists could find to cover their dignity.  One woman crouched next to an accident victim and held their lifeless hand.

 

Walking home from a lovely dinner one evening, we passed a window where a woman’s anguished sobs could clearly be heard.  Before we passed, the sorrow turned to rage and the sound of something breakable crashing was loud.  We could easily picture the scene as we stopped to listen and to pray.  Did we need to intervene?

 

While away, an earthquake struck Haiti.  You know about this.

 

Once home, we learned the good news that a friend’s pursuit of a woman long prayed for had gone well!  Then that the next day this same friend learned his brother had a brain aneurysm.

 

I am rejoicing now over the news that a woman’s husband who works for Compassion has been rescued alive and well from an elevator shaft in the collapsed hotel M in Haiti.  I wept at the news.  And I am waiting for news of another.  Waiting.  Praying.

 

Five days ago I passed four bodies being covered by white sheets and it shook me to the core.  Today I see images from Haiti and hear incomprehensable numbers of 50,000 dead and I am stunned beyond knowing.

 

Love and War is more than the title of a book on marriage.  It describes the life we find ourselves living.  The battle is one of Life and Death.  Physically.  Spiritually.  We are surrounded by it.  We must be changed by it.  Engage with it.

 

I am entering into this new year soberly. 

 

Walk with me Jesus.  Walk with us.  Live your LIFE through us and bring yourself to our aching fellow human beings near and far.  How we need you.