Sometimes I get really stressed. I get super anxious and worry about things I cannot control. Our moving to Cleveland is a good example of this. We have no exact “move in” date, my kids start at their new school in a week, I’m trying to pack up our house, tie up ends here, and figure out what I need to do for school, all while not knowing still exactly what day we will be able to move into our new house! This is really hard for me, as I thrive on my schedules and appointments. Packing the house up and trying to keep your kids adequately entertained and fed is just not easy.
Then I read a news article today. It grabbed me instantly, as I could not believe the words I was reading. It was the stories of children being beheaded, women raped and murdered, all because of their beliefs. It shakes me to my very core. As I continued to read the details, my heart sinks as I try to imagine for one moment if this were happening for real in my country, in my city, in my park, to MY children.
I confess that I am often ignorant to what is going on in the world outside the United States. I know sometimes I even read articles about these horrific acts, and terrible violence, only to subconsciously think, well that is sad, but that is just what happens in those places…. Shame on me! I know it is hard because it is so far away, and we feel so helpless, but if these kinds of news stories do not rock our world and wake us up to more important matters at hand, then maybe we are really missing something.
After a very long day today, I was absolutely exhausted. I sat down to watch tv before going to bed, and turned to comic relief. It wasn’t so funny. Suddenly I was watching through a different lens, and I kept thinking how we are here entertaining ourselves, to relieve the stresses of life that might involve a large workload, illness, unpaid bills, or relocating, but these things are suddenly so pale in comparison to these horrible acts that are happening halfway across the world. No matter what we are going through right now in America, it is nothing close to what these people are experiencing in Iraq.
My heart cries out as I try to understand how these things could actually be happening. It made me realize how much I have to be thankful for, and suddenly my stress and worries did not seem significant anymore. Even though we are unable to do much to physically help in these types of situations, we can pray. It is one positive thing about current technology, that we can be informed on what is going on around the world. With being informed and hearing all of the current news, it gives us a great responsibility, to act. And if the only way we are able to act is to pray, then we need to pray! I hope I am continued to be moved to my knees, and continually reminded of what is going on outside my door. I want to continue to be emotionally wrecked over our world that is so broken and in need of Jesus. May I never become so complacent and satisfied that I forget.
Valiant 