But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength...
Isaiah 40:31a
The grieving, the pain, the intensity of following all these events beginning on September 11...
Isaiah 40:31a
The grieving, the pain, the intensity of following all these events beginning on September 11...
...have taken their toll. Lately, I have been so tired and weary. My legs are shaky, and I feel sluggish and weak. I keep reminding myself that Jesus said, "Let not your heart be troubled.... believe [trust] in.....Me" (John 14:1). But today my body told me in no uncertain terms that I had to rest, so that is what I have been doing. I stayed in my bunk almost all day today. I slept late this morning instead of getting up as I usually do, at five or six. Then this afternoon, I napped on and off for several hours, which I almost never do. Right now, I am up this early evening to make my journal entry, and then it's right back to bed. I have to rest in the Lord and get my spiritual batteries recharged, not to mention that I need to recuperate physically.
Yes, prison inmates grieve too. The loss of lives is horrible. But I know that God is in control, and he will bring good things out of this tragedy. I know it will take the families that lost loved ones a long time to heal, maybe even a lifetime. But God will be there for them, as well as for those who were wounded physically, emotionally, or both. I will never stop praying for the healing of America. Although many are calling for revenge, which is perfectly understandable, I do not believe that bullets and bombs will change hearts. Only the message of Hope that is found in the Gospel can do that. However, I pray that hearts will not become bitter or calloused because then the enemy will win, for a vital part of each of us will have been destroyed.
Furthermore, I believe the best things that can happen to America after this terrorist tragedy is that we become more loving and kind to our neighbors, more sensitive to those around us, and that we allow mercy to triumph over judgment. We also need to become more humble as a nation, and more thankful to God for our freedoms and for life. For on September 11, we were so suddenly reminded just how brief and uncertain life can be. Tomorrow is promised to no one, so it is vital that we make peace with Christ today. Truly now is the day of salvation.
At this moment, however, I need more sleep.
D.B.
Yes, prison inmates grieve too. The loss of lives is horrible. But I know that God is in control, and he will bring good things out of this tragedy. I know it will take the families that lost loved ones a long time to heal, maybe even a lifetime. But God will be there for them, as well as for those who were wounded physically, emotionally, or both. I will never stop praying for the healing of America. Although many are calling for revenge, which is perfectly understandable, I do not believe that bullets and bombs will change hearts. Only the message of Hope that is found in the Gospel can do that. However, I pray that hearts will not become bitter or calloused because then the enemy will win, for a vital part of each of us will have been destroyed.
Furthermore, I believe the best things that can happen to America after this terrorist tragedy is that we become more loving and kind to our neighbors, more sensitive to those around us, and that we allow mercy to triumph over judgment. We also need to become more humble as a nation, and more thankful to God for our freedoms and for life. For on September 11, we were so suddenly reminded just how brief and uncertain life can be. Tomorrow is promised to no one, so it is vital that we make peace with Christ today. Truly now is the day of salvation.
At this moment, however, I need more sleep.
D.B.