 When people want to relax, they might turn on a television. When they drive down the road, they may play the radio. When they want to know how something works, they can google it. In each of these situations, people choose to use media instead of their own minds.
 Some of you may wonder what I really think about the idea of supernatural peace. I realize that my posts may seem like a conundrum:
 “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.” - Isaiah 26:3 "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” - John 14:27 This is a poem I wrote several months ago about God's peace, based on the two verses above. It was written as a song, but I revised the wording slightly to fit into a more poetic style. I hope it's a blessing to you all right now. In the highest hills and deepest depths  In 1871, Horatio Spafford, a successful businessman and lawyer from Chicago, mourned the death of a son to pneumonia. The same year he lost much of his business to the Great Chicago Fire. Then, in 1873, his four remaining children and wife boarded a ship bound for Europe. Fifteen days later he received this telegram from his wife: “Saved alone, what shall I do?” Mr. Spafford immediately booked a passage to join his wife. Four days into the crossing, he was summoned by the captain, who informed him that the ship was passing over the very spot where only days before his children had descended three miles down into their watery grave. Horatio quietly entered his private quarters and penned a beautiful hymn of faith. When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,  If there is one thing everyone wants to have it is happiness. Yet, happiness seems so fleeting and out of our control.
We are regularly disappointed by entertainment and activities that promise happiness but fail to deliver real fulfillment. Social activities regularly leave us disappointed. YouTube marathons promise gratification with the next video but never uphold their end of the bargain. Trust me, I would know. Several years ago, I had a terrible dream: My sister, Rebekah, stopped eating. Day after day she got weaker, energy left her body, and she became dangerously thin. And as this nightmare became more and more frightening, I grew worried, because no matter how hard I pinched myself, I couldn't wake up.
Because it wasn’t a dream. My sister, Rebekah, was dealing with anorexia, an eating disorder that caused her to voluntarily starve herself. I was only 10 years old, and I remember feeling helpless - knowing what she was doing, but not knowing what I could do to help.  Blazing down the track at a nearly unbelievable speed, one runner was more determined to win than the others. As he entered the final leg on the 400 meter sprint in 5th place, he forced himself to push ahead of the next runner. Then the next, and the next. Moments later, he found himself clutching an Olympic gold medal. This man, after years of diligently working, practicing, training, researching, and preparing, finally saw his dream—to win the gold in the 1964 Olympics—come to fruition. He won!
Do you know who he was?  It isn’t. For one thing, the sky looks black at night and red in the morning. Furthermore, any scientist will tell you there is no sky. The atmosphere above us just looks blue because blue light reflects off the air better than the other wavelengths. The “sky” is no more blue than the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Our communication today is filled with clichés and well-known bits of assumed truths. However, many of them are actually false. Here are some more examples:  The memorial for the victims of the shooting in Sutherland Springs, TX. Photo by Nathaniel Hendry. I recently returned from a wonderful trip to Texas with my family, where my mom presented numerous living history programs and I did some chalk drawings. It was truly an amazing experience! The most meaningful location we were able to speak at was First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas.
Last November, a rampaging shooter killed 26 people at the church and injured 20 others. The pain from this tragic experience still resounds in the community. However, it is amazing to see how the church members have allowed God to use the event in their lives. In my last post, I explored the fact that we are all broken in some way. In this article, I will explain some ways we can allow our brokenness to remold us into something better.  “You have something you want to tell us.”
My flight leader addressed the cadet officers in my flight at Cadet Officer School, a 10-day leadership training activity sponsored by Civil Air Patrol (CAP). Everyone at the camp had at least received the Mitchell Award in Civil Air Patrol, attaining the rank of Cadet Second Lieutenant, which some in CAP consider to be equivalent to receiving the Eagle Scout. Still, my flight leader knew there was more to our lives than that single achievement.  If you have seen the news lately, no doubt you have been overwhelmed with news about Brett Kavanaugh's hearing. I also have no doubt that you've already formed an opinion about the topic.
So have I, but it is not about the accusations brought against him. I am going to be writing about our opinion about the Brett Kavanaugh accusation.  You’re sitting there, again. Your computer screen is staring back at you. “I don’t have anything yet,” it says. “I don’t have anything, either,” you reply. Your deadline is creeping closer and closer, but you still do not even know where to start.
 My last post was a preview of what I really wanted to say. This post serves as the core foundation for what I believe and want to communicate through this blog.
 You’re ready! You have laid out all the best arguments to someone. The point is clear. The truth has been stated. There’s no way they can respond. And you eagerly await their affirmation of your persuasive words as they are forced to admit you’re right.
And then comes the reply. “I don’t agree with that.” |
About Nathaniel HendryI blog on common social issues from a reasoned, conservative Christian perspective in easy to understand writing. I am committed to academic excellence in writing and supported by solid reasoning and research. About A Worthy WordThe Worthy Word isn't mine, but God's. I just try to explain the truly Worthy Word and encourage you from it. Categories
All
Archives
December 2020
|
RSS Feed
