Teaching Reaching and Healing, all with God's Love
Castle Rock, Colorado
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FAITH
LUTHERAN CHURCH Teaching Reaching and Healing, all with God's Love Castle Rock, Colorado |
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| FROM PASTOR MIKE |
 May 2008 Is Your Hut Burning? The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small, uninhabited island. He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him, and every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming. Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect himself from the elements, and to store his few possessions. But then one day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, the smoke rolling up to the sky. The worst had happened--- everything was lost. He was stunned with grief and anger. "God, how could you do this to me?" he cried. Early the next day, however, he was awakened by the sound of a ship that was approaching the island. It had come to rescue him. "How did you know I was here?" asked the weary man of his rescuers. "We saw your smoke signal," they replied. It is easy to get discouraged when things are going bad. But we shouldn't lose heart, because God is at work in our lives, even in the midst of pain and suffering. Remember, the next time your little hut is burning to the ground, it just may be a smoke signal that summons the grace of God. The above illustration was something I shared at our fall congregational meeting after the shock of Pr. Joe’s resignation followed by our music director Vee Ann’s resignation. We don’t always see God’s gracious will when our “huts burn down.” But I’ve learned through the years to trust that God works things out for good not evil. As we prepare for our congregational meeting to decide our congregational priorities and our church staffing positions based on a finite amount of resources we may feel like our hut is burning and everything we’ve been striving for is for naught. I’d encourage us to “be not afraid” but instead to continue to trust in God and have the faith that God will provide for us even if and when we go through hard times. Remember Joseph who, after being sold into slavery by his brothers and being parted from his family for years, responded faithfully when addressing his brothers upon their reunion. “But Joseph said to them, "Do not be afraid! Am I in the place of God? Even though you intended to do harm to me, God intended it for good, in order to preserve a numerous people, as he is doing today.” (Genesis 50:19-20) In God’s love, Pastor Mike |
