Birth Of The Bride

20 Aug

Genesis 1

Adam ressurection

The waters came forth,

    pure and abundant,

    preparing for life,

    supernaturally.

—

The evening and the morning,

    were the 5th day,

    life had begun.

—

From the dust of the dry land,

    and the waters of the sea,

    God’s hand formed and molded man,

    the first Adam.

—

The blood in his body lay silent,

    His image and soul lay pure,

    without life, water and blood ran together,

    unheedingly.

—

Then into his nostrils did God breathe,

    true life,

    not merging liquid,

    not hardened soil.

—

The gentle breeze from the soul of God,

    drew man to life,

    away from silent existence,

    covenant of love,

    covenant of truth.

—

The blood and water coursed within man,

    birthing forth the desire,

    of a new covenant.

—

In the safety of love man rested,

    a deep sleep,

    peaceful sleep.

—

God reached deep inside,

    removing a small sacrifice,

    blood and water and molded dust.

—

This rib became the bride of Adam,

    still and lifeless,

    breathed to life,

    by the same precious deity,

    the one Holy God.

—

By the breath of God did the woman rise,

    from mere existence,

    to precious life.

—

The evening and the morning,

    were the 6th day,

    the Bride was born.

—

She was to bear the cycle,

    the covenant of blood and water,

    the temporary temple of God’s chosen.

—

The cycle continued,

    covenant   –   sacrifice,

    birth    –    sacrifice,

    covenant    –    death.

—

Jesus, the final covenant,

    God the son,

    the substance of new life,

    pierced in His side.

—

Even in death,

    precious blood and water,

    amniotic fluid ran down the cross,

    onto a cursed hill  –  Golgatha.

—

With it ran the seed of a new nation,

    a new generation,

    the covenant of eternal life,

    the Bride of Christ.

—

With His last earthly breath,

    He drew in the sins of the world,

    and the Bride to come,

    that all life might dwell,

    in the Holy promises.

—

The sins, cleansed and forgiven,

    ran with the blood,

    ran with the water,

    planting the seed,

    of the covenant to come,

    Kingdom Heirs.

—

A tiny baby, born in the darkest of times,

    nurtured by the hand of God,

   filled with the breath of the Spirit,

    coursed through with sacrificial blood,

    sacrificial water.

—

No longer apart from God the Father,

    no longer apart from God the Son,

    the miraculous testimony of living Word,

    birthed in the death of sin.

—

Rise up, Oh Israel,

    take your inheritance of life,

    God breathed,

   Holy & Blessed.

—

Clothe yourself in gold and purple,

    as the rightful Bride,

    of Christ.

—

Rise up, Oh Israel,

    for the Groom prepares the place,

    where you shall dwell,

    the promises have come to pass,

    where faith meet truth,

    and they become one.

—

Tags: , , , , , , ,

RUMINATE

10 Aug

the-thinker - Ruminate

 “I will sing unto the LORD as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.  34  My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the LORD.”  Psalm 104:33

Living in a small town gives a person a whole different perspective on elections.  Not the big national, or even the state elections, but the down and dirty run for school board or city counsel elections.

My, my, my!  At election time people seem to find liberty in negative speech.  It’s almost like the Christian values of a person has a “stand-by” clause, allowing them to bring up memories of poor choices made by another and share them with the community.  Something we would normally bring to the prayer closet now makes front page news, and it doesn’t stop on Election Day, but continues for weeks after.

We ruminate on the final choice, questioning how someone made office when they . . .  We ruminate on the general population making decisions that could have life-long consequences without understanding the whole platform.

After the 2004 National Elections they did an exit pole and the biggest concern of the general public was the deterioration of moral values.  So they ruminate on it and ruminate on it and ruminate on it, feeling helpless to make a change.

I wonder how many turned to God’s Word, looking for comfort and answers.  I wonder how many ruminate on the Words of truth, living in the fruits of the spirit.  I wonder how many took the angry hurting words they heard about candidates to their prayer closet and prayed a foundation of wisdom and strength and peace for those chosen as our leaders.

Jesus, please hold my tongue if I’m tempted to speak ill of another.  Let me be an encourager and prayer warrior for those who have erred.  Let me never forget that you ordain people to their positions in life, and it is not my place to question Your Will.  Remind me always to ruminate on Your Word, day and night, leaving no place for negative thoughts.  And Jesus, please forgive me when I fail.

Tags: , , , , ,

CARPE DEIM

9 Aug

“For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:  Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.  Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?  When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?  Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?  And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”   Matthew 25:35

Inmates shackled

Over the last “many” years I have spent more time in criminal justice courtrooms than I care to remember.  I’ve watched the guards bring in a line of shaking, red-eyed prisoners, shackled at the hands and feet and chained to each other.  I’ve watched the families, broken and confused, sitting on the benches, completely helpless.

My Mother’s heart wants to comfort them, assure them that it’s all going to be okay, but talking is forbidden, movement discouraged – and it just might NOT be okay.

I see families trying to catch the eye of their imprisoned loved one, to give them a sign of hope.  But signs are posted all over the room that “no interfacing with the prisoner is allowed.”  Not verbal communication, not hand signs, nothing – under penalty of arrest.  It doesn’t take long to recognize how serious things are.

All the quotes and thoughts I’ve had as a counselor remained in my mind.

“Be instant in season and out of season.”

“A word fitly spoken . . .”

“Go into all the world . . .”

“Carpe Diem.”

In a place where people most needed a word of hope, it was forbidden.  Where did it all go wrong?

I’ve been given the honor of ministering to many inmates’ families.  Families referred to me by churches, prison chaplains and inmates, wanting to be sure their families are doing okay.  I’ve been able to bring words of truth and hope to inmates whose lives changed at a moment of indiscretion.  I’ve seen God bloom in situations that seemed completely hopeless.

God, help me always remember that every inmate shackled to a guard is Your child, born for Your kingdom.  Help me to remember that even though I may not be able to change a situation, I can always bring a word of encouragement and hope.  Help me to remember that the gift of “free will” may forever change the direction of a person’s life, but it does not close the door to Your Kingdom, if a changed life will stand at your door and knock.  And always help me to remember that I may be the only “Jesus’ others will ever see – and if I don’t tell them the words of truth, how will they ever know?  Carpe Diem.

Written by Linda J. Humes

8/21/2005

**Road to Emmaus**

Tags: , , , , , , ,

Update March 2015 and Grafted Revisited

22 Mar

We moved out of a rental house and into our new home, 13+ miles out of town. On the day we received the keys I had a TIA (mini-stroke). To say I was disappointed to spend the evening in the ER instead of in my new home is an understatement. I’m finally getting back to normal healthwise, just a few memory issues and occasional dizziness and stuttering. Getting better every day. It has been a long hard delightful month.

I am sending out the Easter piece I send every year. The message never changes – God loves us so much that He sent His son as a sacrifice for us. I never let that leave my mind.

I have my computer set up again, finally, and hope to get back to writing soon. Praying God’s blessings over each and every one of you.

GRAFTED
By Linda J. Humes

It was a deep wound,
Intended to bring death,
Inflicted by the spear,
Of a Roman Soldier.

Gaping open,
It released blood and water.
The blood of the new covenant,
The water of the Holy Spirit,
Yet to come.

The precious liquids,
Oozing to the surface,
Were the precious nutrients,
To give food and strength,
To the nation to come.

Inside that wound,
Deep in the side of my Savior,
The wound Satan meant for evil,
God planted a seed,
A bud,
A grafted nation,
A place for me.

That wound,
And the seed inside,
Were anointed with myrrh,
With aloes, and with spices.
Wrapped so carefully,
With the finest linen,
Preparing a cleft,
Of most Holy foundation,
For the Gentile to join,
God’s chosen.

Then came the moment,
When the linens were left,
In the shape of a man,
But hollow and unaltered,
As a message of release.

The moment when Christ,
With the grafted children,
Tucked safely beneath his arm,
Faced Satan and conquered death.

Now this nation,
Birthed in the side of Christ,
As Eve was birthed,
In the side of Adam,
Sat in communion,
At the right hand of God.

Guided forth,
Performing greater miracles,
Exhibiting greater power,
Flowing in the Holy Spirit,
The seed branched forward.

Inside that graft,
With its roots entwined,
Deep into the Master,
There is a leaf,
Turning to the Son,
Preparing to break forth,
And follow the way,
Set forth by Him.

It’s just one leaf,
Of the many branches,
Just one small part,
Of a mighty tree.
But on that leaf,
Is a name,
And that name belongs,
To ME.

Happy Thanksgiving!

27 Nov

May God’s unending blessings shower over you today and throughout the year.

God Bless You!

Linda

 

Tags:

Heritage of Hope

1 Sep

sprout in dry desert

“in whom also we were made a heritage, having been foreordained according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of His will; to the end that we should be unto the praise of His glory, we who had before hoped in Christ:”  Ephesians 1:11-12 (ASV)

Recently I was invited to a new friend’s home for lunch after church.  God has richly blessed this couple and their home was amazing.  Everywhere I looked was just . . . “Wow!”  When I returned home that evening I was flooded with memories of my childhood home.  For days I couldn’t shake it.  Depression set in.  It was a heritage that I could not shake, even though my life is so much different now.

Growing up in the 50’s in a small desert town is a whole world away from the way things are today.  No running water, outhouses (I’m still not very fond of those things), no cooling, only the kitchen stove for heating, bare cement floors, and the backseat out of an old Chevy for a sofa.  Bed was blankets on old steel springs, no mattress.  I remember, many mornings, getting up to my mom melting down icicles on the stove so we could have water.  There was a wind driven fan in the wall that helped bring air into the home during the summer.  We would lay on the cool cement floor under that fan to take naps; mom stuffed a wooden spoon between the blades to make it stop at night.  Meals were jackrabbit, catfish and pinto beans, unless a neighbor brought us a chicken.  My worldly heritage.

I remember telling God that I would never return to an area like that.  In recent years I have walked into homes with similar conditions and physically shook. I told God that I couldn’t be there, I couldn’t think there, I couldn’t breathe there.  His voice came gently, “how can you minister to them if you don’t see where they are from, if you don’t find common ground.”  It was my call to show them the heritage that God held for them, far beyond the physical conditions where they currently existed.

God’s Heritage, created for us before the foundations of the earth, is eternal life (John 3:15).  A life free from pain and illness.  A life free from tears, sorrow, worry and doubt (Revelation 21:4).  A heritage of being an heir with His son, Jesus Christ (Romans 8:17).  A heritage of a mansion, built specifically for us, at the hands of Jesus himself (John 14:2).

When we hear the call on our lives we become partakers with Jesus, reaching out to a lonely broken world (Ephesians 3:6).  We become workers of the gospel, sharing with all the promise of the heritage they have waiting for them, if they would only believe.  We testify and share the very gifts that God has given to us, as He has willed for us to do; as well as those who will follow after.  And in that labor we find fullness of joy (Psalm 16:11), praising and worshipping our God for the gift of His manifested glory in our lives (John 1:14), filled with grace and truth.

Lord, let us remember that we are your hands and feet to this world of hurting and wounded people.  Help us to walk past the difficult memories of our worldly heritage and share a story of hope with those whose lives rest in similar circumstances, giving them hope of a new and wonderful inheritance with You.  Let our testimony of rising above our circumstances be the key to their faith in a new life in You.  Please give us the strength.

**A Journey through Ephesians – Chapter 1, Part 7

Written by Linda J. Humes

8-31-14

Tags: , , , , , , , ,

The Blessing of Being A Mom

11 May

Christmas 2013

First Delivered Mother’s Day 5-13-07

I was born to a 16 year old girl. I was raised by 2 alcoholics – my father died at age 29 from cirrhosis of the liver. I was 9.

I don’t remember every being hugged, kissed or told that I was loved. I promised myself that when I had kids – they would never doubt – at any time in their lives – that they were loved.

This is my story in a nutshell.

I never expected to adopt 2 little boys, crack babies, fetal alcohol syndrome, ADHD, 2 and 3 years developmentally delayed. One that spoke his own developed language that only his brother could understand

I never thought I would have to fight to have their medications removed and treat their physical and behavioral problems with diet.

I DID expect my boys to attain developmental advancement within 2 years – and they did – because they were put into an environment of love in their Christian child care, their Christian school, their church family, and in our home – and they were constantly lifted up by dozens of prayer warriors. God is so Faithful.

I never expected to be told on 3 separate occasions that my 7 year old had a terminal disease. That they wouldn’t allow the adoption to continue because they weren’t exactly sure what the medical problem was – even though we told them that we didn’t care what he had, we loved him and wanted the adoption to be finalized.

I DID expect a miracle. After the warriors of prayer went to battle – the doctors came back with “Well, we don’t know what happened, but his blood levels are now in the normal range.” We adopted both boys 4/28/1998.

I never thought I would have to stand before my boy’s principal and fight for them to be able to bring their Bible to school.

I never thought I would have to fight with that principal over a suspension because my boys removed themselves from their classrooms and refused to watch a movie filled with magic and witchcraft.

I never thought I’d walk into a bedroom calf-high with toys and clothes.

I never thought I’d say to my boys – after looking into their closet and seeing the clean clothes I had given them, on hangers, laying on the floor – recently baptized by the cat – “well, I retire – they’re your problem from now on!”

I never thought we’d have times where we had to pray over an empty refrigerator and pantry – standing in faith that God answers prayer – and within an hour, each time, He did.

I never thought I’d have to create chore boards and get kids up an hour early each morning to be sure they were done.

I never thought we’d be able to afford to buy the boys laptops – and never thought we’d be taking them back away now and again as behavioral leverage.

I never thought all of my boys would receive the Presidential Award for Physical Fitness – see guys, size isn’t everything.

I never thought I’d be sitting up until 10pm every night doing homework – helping my son work through his learning disability – teaching from short term memory into long term memory.

I never thought one of my sons would receive the Presidential Award for Academic Excellence. Isn’t that awesome!

I never thought my home would be filled with smelly escaping rabbits, gerbils, hamsters, guinea pigs, and a 6’ iguana named Iggy – and “NO” Jon, you may not have an ostrich, I don’t care how tame they say it is.

I never thought my son would tell his High School class that I was his “super-hero” through an essay that he read to the other students.

I never thought my son would write a book of poems, just for me; a precious gift given on Mother’s Day.

I never thought my son would join the ARMY and get sent to Korea – but I couldn’t be more proud.

I never expected my 16 year old to run away to live with a drug dealer so he could feed his drug addiction. To stay away without any direct communication for over 4 months.

I never expected to have to battle with the “enemy of our souls” for that son. Walking and praying in our home and yard for hours upon hours every night – standing on the promises of God. Quoting back the scripture to God –

“God you told me that if I raise him up in the way he should go – he will not depart from it.

“God, you said when we ask anything believing, it will come to pass.

“God you said if I have the faith of a Mustard Seed I can move a mountain – and all I want is to move a boy from an evil place back to his home. God you said   !

I never expected to have to play Christian radio 24/7 to bring peace and an anointing, so we could all sleep.

I never expected that our family would need to go into his room regularly and do spiritual warfare in a prayer circle while he was away.

I never expected that I would have to leave letters, clothes and food on my son’s bed – because we knew he would come home and go into his room several times a week. We always told him how much we loved him – even at his most unlovable times. – When my son finally came home, he had every one of those letters with him. It was a testimony to the love he felt, even in his most rebellious time, even though he still spewed words of anger and hate.

I never expected to call the police many times to help me search the streets of Phoenix for my son and bring him home. I refused to lose him into the streets again.

I never expected to have to sit with my son in the emergency room for 15 hours as he was coming out of an alcohol/Methamphetamine overdose.

I never expected to have to visit (2) my sons in Jail – sit in courtroom after courtroom with all (3) – and then visit one of my sons in prison every other week. He was only 18 years old. Those visits became treasured jewels to our family – if you could only see what God did through them. They brought us closer than you can imagine.

My oldest son found Jesus again in a cell in Camp Verde Detention Center. Before long he was moved to Florence and I started getting letters from people in the cells near him – they all started the same – “Hi my name is _____ and I’m in a cell next to your son. I hear him talking about Jesus all the time, and I was wondering if you would teach me about this Jesus.”

Sometimes I’d get a letter from my son saying “Mom, there’s a man here that’s really hurting, and I tried to get him to write to you – but he’s shy. Could you please write to him and encourage him. You know what to do.”

That list of men and women had grown to 70 in 2007, and over 300 as of now. Many have been released and still stayed in touch. Some have become adopted-in children; treasured family members. We have brought over 12 of these hurting people into our home and helped them prepare to for a life in the community. Some came from prison, some came from the streets.

The thing I’ve recognized in writing to these inmates is that most of them have no relationship with their family, especially their mom. The mom’s are dead, drug addicts, in prison, or have abandoned them because of their behaviors. Year after year I received Mother’s Day cards and letters from people I’ve never met – because I took the time to tell them how precious they are to Jesus, and how much I care about how them.

All of my children have made poor decisions and each one has grown tremendously from those poor decisions and the consequences they had to face because of them. Everyone makes poor decisions. That doesn’t make them bad kids; that makes them human.

Don’t tell me a child is not reachable. Don’t tell me a child is hopelessly lost. Inside every angry, tattooed, pierced, cut, cigarette burned young adult is a hurting child that wants to know someone loves them.

They want to know about Jesus, even if they don’t show it. They want to know about unconditional love, even if they don’t say it. They see Jesus through you – and learn about Him through your walk, your fruit – and the words you speak into their lives.

Don’t tell me that it’s impossible to raise respectful, compassionate, God fearing boys. I have 3. My oldest son is in Welding School in College. My middle son is in Fire Science in College. My youngest son is a Pastor, following in my footsteps, preparing to go to Seminary. I couldn’t be more proud of my children – they bless me daily. My boys are not afraid to publicly show affection toward me and tell me that they love me, several times a day. They tell each other the same and are there for each other when difficulties arise.

MY GOD was there with me every step of the last 28 years of being a Mom, giving me grace to see through the hard and difficult steps – making every step of this challenge a gift of LOVE. God used the difficult times to bring healing and peace to the family.

Being a Mom isn’t easy – but it’s the greatest gift God has ever given a woman. It’s the greatest gift God has given me. I am SO PROUD to be a MOM.

2014 Update:

This last year I was blessed with a wonderful and beautiful daughter-in-law and a 4 year old grandson.  They are true treasures.  My oldest son has graduated from Welding School, just a few days ago.  My middle son is back in the military, keeping our country safe.  My youngest son is not where he should be – but I hold him constantly in prayer.  Thank you God for blessing me with this incredible family.

2022 Update:

Life continues to evolve and each of my children – birth child, adopted children, adopted in children, those who call me mama – have taken paths that I don’t understand, but God does. Some have done amazingly well. Some have made terribly poor choices. Some go through the trials and the successes and back and forth, just like every other person on this earth – and I know that, without a shadow of a doubt – God is holding them in the palm of His hand. This praying mama will never give up, either will my Jesus. No matter what came and what battles we have faced, or will yet to face – I would never regret being a mom.

By Mama Linda J. Humes

Tags: , , , ,

SWEET SAVOR

6 Apr

Prayer and Incense

 

“And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.  And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand.”   Revelation 8:3-4 KJV

 

The sweet, sweet essence of praise,

drifting to Heaven.

A mist of fruitfilled fragrance,

Sweet Savor – pulling – drifting.

Come and taste of the wind,

taste the Glory.

—

Voices lifting in victorious harmony,

Sweet Savor – pulling – drifting.

Drink of the love, flowing in the mist,

sacrificed to you, Lord.

—

Humbly offered in tender words,

Sweet Savor – pulling – drifting.

A resting place for you,

birthed in the hearts of your children.

So simple, yet so sincere,

Sweet Savor – pulling – drifting.

—

Upward – to You.

.

Tags: , , , ,

WHERE DID GOD COME FROM?

30 Mar

 Bible with Light Shaft

So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Romans 10:17 (KJV)

The most common question I receive is “where did God come from?” I guess I really hadn’t thought much about it before, it was a mystery of faith I took as a truth. My answer of this left doubt on the face of the person asking and I decided that I needed to delve further and determine a good solid answer for my confused new believers. I asked many pastors and many more saints; they all gave the same answer as I. I began to feel like we were brushing the question aside instead of giving comfort and reassurance to those wanting something firm to hang onto.

How did I really feel about it? Had I ever really thought about it? How could I bring peace to the many questioning the very base of my faith? After many hours of prayer I felt that I knew how to answer.

Where did God come from? I don’t know, and at this point in my walk with Christ, I don’t need know. I don’t need to know because I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that He (God) is real.

I talk to him constantly, and I hear his voice speak back to me, deep inside my soul. When I pray, worship or praise Him, I feel His presence all over me. I feel a soft warm blanket fold over and around me. I feel the “Goose bumps” when He’s near and the fire of the anointing in my hands when there’s a need He wants me to tend to.

When I’m devastated by events in my life and I cry out to Him in pain, I feel His peace permeate through me and my tears cease. When I’m in an area of danger, I cry out to Jesus and my fear ceases as He guides me to safety. I’ve seen Him open doors I could never have opened myself, and He has guided me from danger that looked so attractive.

I experience Supernatural Wisdom and Knowledge for specific situations, on subjects that I’ve never studied before. I’ve seen people healed when God told me to put my hands on them and pray. I’ve told people about themselves and what God is guiding them toward, simply by listening to the voice inside me – and I’ve seen the shocked reactions of these people I had never met before when I knew things about them I could not have known. He shows me the light and darkness inside of a person, the pain that torments them – and how to pray to release the pain.

I have seen miracles and mountains moved that were “impossible” situations, by the gathering together of praying saints. I held a dying animal in my arms and watched the animal’s broken neck reset itself, on its own, and the animal go from gasping for air to purring as I prayed in tongues over it – with 4 teens watching in disbelief.

In times of great financial struggle I’ve seen food brought to my family within 10 minutes of a prayer, when no one knew of the circumstance but God.

I saw Him faithfully fulfill His promises of returning my runaway son. I watched Him keep a hedge of protection over that son as he experimented with drugs and alcohol; even overdosing. God spared his life miraculously time after time after time. And God waited patiently until that son returned his Spirit to Him (God) and began walking in the truth again.

I’ve called out demons in the Name of Jesus and brought evil spirits controlling people into subjection of time and space through the power of the Holy Spirit.

I am only a simple person, the child of 2 alcoholic parents. I was raised in poverty – in homes with no running water, moving constantly because of evictions. We had little food – jackrabbits and beans. I grew up a “nothing” by American standards. But God saw a treasure in me and raised me up above my circumstances by His love and grace.

Although I prayed all my life, I was 38 before I found out about having a personal relationship with Christ. After that precious “magical” day, I have never left the presence of God, and I know that He has never left me, not for a second.

I don’t know where God came from. It’s okay for it to remain a mystery of faith for me – because I know God! I know that I know that I know He is real and that he works mightily through His children. That’s good enough for me.

Test Him. Prove Him. He will show Himself real to you too. I promise it!

Tags: , , , ,

THE DAY THE ANGELS CRIED

30 Mar

Twin Towers 9-11-2001

 

“And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: [30] And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. [31] And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.”           Mark 12:29-31

September 11th, 2001 will be one of those dates that no one will forget. It has engraved its importance upon our spirits and hangs heavy in our memory. September 11th, 2001 was the day the angels cried.

No one will forget the horror of the airplanes bursting through the tower walls of the world trade center, or the empty helplessness of watching the men and women falling the 80 to 90 stories to the ground. We felt hope as we watched the fire, police and rescue personnel head into the chaos and devastation when the towers swallowed them up.

When we saw the 110-story towers implode and disintegrate into powdery dust, dust made from concrete and glass, snowing down in a suffocating blizzard, we were there. Who the dust covered people were wasn’t important. The race, creed or color of the person wasn’t important. They were life – that was important. They were family – brothers and sisters who’s names we may never know, who’s stories we may never hear, but they were family – tied to us by the horror of the breach of freedom we so generously share.

America. A country so tender that we sat for hours glued to a TV screen and prayed, encouraged and cheered when rescue workers freed baby Jessica McClure from an abandoned well. A country so generous that we open our arms to the thousands of immigrants who cross our borders every year – providing them food, shelter, medical care and education. A country so strong that after wars and conflicts, we have been able to return home and raise our families with humility and a sense of forgiveness and peace. A blessed country, graciously blessing others. A country betrayed.

America. The tenderness and generosity grievously stunned by such a horrific act. America. Attacked strategically to destroy our economy and military intelligence – but rising up to recognize that in the moments of tragedy only one thing mattered – life and the preservation of it.

Helplessly scattered across the nation, we reached out with truckloads of food, clothing and medical supplies. We donated money from our household budgets to send to the Red Cross and Salvation Army who tended the victims and the rescue workers. We stood hours in line to give blood to send to the hospitals near ground zero. We mourn the deaths, rejoice with the miracles, encourage the jobless – and we pray. When we could do no more, we sat and watched the live news, for hours, days, weeks, and prayed; even still – we pray.

The probability of life in the wreckage is no longer. The fires that have burned in the stories of the crushed building for weeks send eerie symbolism of the bowels of Hell. Satan came down to destroy a country built on the premise of the Bible and dedicated to God, but he failed. What Satan has done to destroy America, God has turned around and created a new and wonderful understanding of what America is. God brought back to us the very foundations that this country was birthed on. God united the people and told the world that we are ONE. One people, one race, one color, one family – one AMERICA.

We will never forget the thousands entombed in the death of that majestic building – just as we have never forgotten the sailors entombed in the USS Arizona. In time we will forgive the misguided souls that did this – but we will never forget. Life will go on with some changes, but nothing that we, as individuals and as a nation, cannot overcome.

Since that day, the American people have been a little quieter; introspective. Mothers and fathers hold their children a little closer, holding their hands when they’re in public. Trivial things don’t matter any more. People don’t squabble in line at the grocery stores. Traffic is reduced, only traveling if necessary. The malls, restaurants and theatres are nearly empty where they used to be overflowing. People work less hours and spend more time with their families. We have become more aware of the treasures of life, and less caught up in the luxury available. We have re-established contact with distant family and old friends. Families are going back to church and re-establishing their relationship with their creator. People are more aware of the things around them and how very precious they are.

Satan took away the lives of 6000+ members of our family – and God showed us the way back to the true meaning of life. America – the land of the free, the home of the brave – family bound together by God. Victorious.

Many families now are seeing their children off to a war in a land where life has no meaning. A land where poverty is overwhelming and need is so great. A land where one man has orchestrated a gross evil that has marred their world. Some of our families are sending their children to an ultimate sacrifice, to ensure that our country is once again safe.

Jesus, grant us the grace to see you at every turn, no matter what the daily outcome seems. Jesus, build our faith with each passing moment. And Jesus, give us the strength to forgive, and the power to overcome.

10-13-2001

Tags: , , , , , , ,

← Older Entries
Newer Entries →