Category: Tragedy

Every day of every year newscasters report the latest bad news of the day. Tornadoes. Floods. Fires.

Most often disasters occur far distant from our daily lives, so we can breathe a sigh of relief.

So we pray for the victims and we also thank God, especially if the "whatever" is far enough away to miss us and our family.

There's no place to hide from the seemingly endless procession of mystery viruses. The never-ending scary headlines. Unrest within these United States of America.

No wonder low-level fear lurks within us, waiting to spring. We do our best to tune it out and paste on a calm, happy face.

Then a fire destroys a home down the street. Thieves empty a neighbor's house. A drunk driver hits someone crossing the street and leaves the victim paralyzed.

Immediately our mind goes to That could be me! Or someone I love! We shudder and think, "Please, God, don't let that happen to me."

But sometimes it does.

What if what we dread hits too close to home to ignore?

Pink slips or a business that doesn't make it ends the paycheck(s) we counted on. A dream dies. A lab test reveals a life-threatening illness. Someone we love dies.

Once we stop reeling from the shock we realize there's no escaping this awful new reality.

And we cannot find one particle of good in any of it.

At times like that we may feel abandoned, as if our Heavenly Father loves every other person on the face of the earth but us. We know that's not true, but still, our pain and fear weigh us down.

Somehow, somehow we make it through one day after the other.

When tragedy threatens–or strikes–what keeps people going?

Counselors and TV personalities offer thousands of words of advice. Most of it boils down to, "Simply change the way you look at your situation. Visualize yourself as strong and fearless and refuse to think any negative thoughts."

Yeah, sure.

These "experts" would be out of business if any of us knew how to do this.

Yet we needn't dissolve into a puddle of fear. Strength that goes way beyond our own is available at any time.

God's strength.

Peace-in-the-midst is as available as the air we breathe

The best antidote to fear–and the only one I ever found that works–is to fill my mind with Bible verses like these. I repeat them over to myself, aloud or silently. Here are a few I love:

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6,7

The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? Psalm 27:1

I can do all things through him who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13

"I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:2

In good times or bad, we are not alone

And we are not powerless. Jesus walks with us through whatever may come. Always. Every day. Every moment. Every second.

Yes, the horror may come near us. Tragedy of one sort or another may change our lives, simply because we are human beings and we live in this imperfect world. We may feel we have no strength–physical, mental or emotional–to go on.

That's the time to hang onto Bible verses like this:

… In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. Romans 8:37.

As long as we keep our eyes on Jesus, whatever comes will not destroy us.

Count on it.

Count on it!

Trusting, too,

Lenore

You Can Stay Strong If Disaster Comes

May 28, 2024
Those of us who were old enough to understand will never forget hearing the first reports of planes flying into the Twin Towers and watching heart-stopping photos like these.

The horror of it seemed beyond understanding.

Over 3,000 Americans that beautiful September morning never made it home.

Each one had family and friends who loved them, who ached to hear their dear one tell them, "I'm okay."

But when their phones finally rang, that's not what the voice on the other end told them.

Tragedy usually is like that–out of the blue

Life is a risky proposition. Being alive, feeling safe in our situation, is more fragile than we know.

It lasts until . . .

Until tragedy strikes close to home. A teenage son or daughter is killed in an accident. Our parent or spouse is diagnosed with Alzheimer's. A two-year old grandchild is diagnosed with leukemia.

Until something happens that shakes us to our core. Maybe we felt safe in our healthy living habits and patted ourselves on the back for resisting those "dastardly" foods we once loved, pushing ourselves to stay fit.

Then came that symptom. Or that test. That calm, impersonal voice saying, "I'm sorry to tell you, but . . . . "

That's when our inner self screamed, "No! Not me! Not mine!"

Yet it was us. It was our loved one. And no amount of weeping or talking or consulting specialists could make it go away.

At last we understood there was nothing to do but get through it and count on God's strength in Christ to carry us along.

Then like Job, we endlessly replay our situation and cry out to God

I'm no theologian, but one thing I know. Job let it all hang out with God. He expressed his pain and frustration and his not-knowing-ness in stark language.

Job had reason to wail. Not long before he "had it all" and lost everything, including his seven sons and three daughters.

All of them (Job 1.)

Then came Job's health, another casualty. Everyone in his life blamed God, but never once did Job, even in his worst moments, curse God.

That's why God does not punish Job for his honest outpourings of pain.

If you've ever studied the book of Job you know that God finally spoke to Job in chapters 38-41.

Chapter 42 tells "the rest of the story," how God indeed brought Job through his time of suffering and blessed him with more sons and daughters and long life.

God can bring us through our hard times, too

Like every other human being on earth, believers have times of suffering. Christians died on 9/11 and countless Christians suffer and die right now as refugees from persecution. Every one of us knows someone with something.

Pain and disease come not from God's hand, but because we live in a world messed up by sin ever since Genesis.

It's the human condition.

But when tragedy and trials come, one thing we know: God is for us.

If you're living your own "9/11" right now, take heart!

Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken. –Psalm 55:22 (NIV)

Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me.                                                         – Psalm 54:4 (NIV)

I can do all things through him who strengthens me.                                                         –Philippians 4:13 (NIV)

My friend, whether you're in a good place right now or in a pit of pain, here's my prayer for you:

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being . . .                                                         –Ephesians3:16 (NIV)

Lovingly,

Lenore

Finding joy in the midst of . . . whatever

Looking for hope? Read this man's story

Here's a survival strategy for when tragedy strikes

When the bottom drops out of life, how can we go on?

How to stay calm in fearful times

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What is there in 9/11 that matters to us today?

September 11, 2014
Tornado roars through Moore, Oklahoma. How would we cope if this was where we used to live?

Imagine coming back to this.

Some residents returned to piles of rubble they couldn't see over.

Some found flat, empty spaces littered with debris. They could only trace in their minds where walls once stood.

All cried and hugged each other. Who wouldn't?

In memory their individual homes looked sweet and flawless, filled with precious possessions. The ordinary, boring routines of daily life transformed into cherished rituals.

Tragedy makes our vision clearer

How many interviews have you watched where Moore residents said something like, "Oh, it's all gone, but that doesn't matter. My family is okay. That's all that counts."

We forget that too easily, don't we?

Is it possible to possess that perspective without first suffering a tragedy?

I think we can. I think we must.

That's especially important for moms. In Moore, ten children died. Yes, the school children were with their teachers.

Even so, they faced their fears on their own.

That's life. Even young children spend most weekdays away from home. Older kids and teens, too. We moms can give them something indestructible to hang onto, whatever comes.

Something like this

First we teach our children they can talk to Jesus themselves. We stress that Jesus is with them, right here. Right now.

Songs are good, too. For generations godly moms and grandmas have been teaching, "Jesus Loves Me," to their little ones. Every Sunday School kid learns it, too. It goes like this:

Jesus loves me, this I know,

For the Bible tells me so.

Little ones to Him belong.

They are weak, but He is strong.

Yes, Jesus loves me!

Yes, Jesus loves me!

Yes, Jesus loves me,

The Bible tells me so.

Jesus loves me–He who died

Heaven's gate to open wide;

He will wash away my sin,

Let His little child come in.

Yes, Jesus loves me!

Yes, Jesus loves me!

Yes, Jesus loves me,

The Bible tells me so.

–Anna B. Warner, in 1860, set to music by William Bradbury in 1862.

Picture one of those young children huddled down listening to the tornado roar down on them. Wouldn't repeating words like these over and over help them get through it?

We can't give away what we don't have

If we're to speak faith and confidence to our families and those around us we need to be equipped ourselves. We can store up verses like these so we'll have them ready to call up when we need them.

Here are some personal favorites:

*(God says) "Call on me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me." –Psalm 59:15 (ESV)

*(Jesus says) "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." –John 3:16

*(The Lord says) "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are mine . . . Do not be afraid, for I am with you . . . " –Isaiah 43:1, 5 (NIV)

Make verses like these part of our emergency kit

School kids in Moore had regular tornado drills. Let's take it one step further and aim to be emotionally and spiritually prepared for whatever comes–and our families, too.

Let's equip minds and spirits with what will carry us through.

Lovingly,

Lenore

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May 22, 2013
"Life Happens," they say. Catastrophes happen, too.

Fears we stuff down during the day haunt us at 2 a.m. Questions like, If that were true for me, could I handle it?

That's on my mind because of what happened to friends I'll call John and Mary. These two were driving home from vacation on a summer day. No speeding. No alcohol or drugs. Suddenly their car spun out of control on a curve and slammed into a highway guard-rail. Most of the impact was on the right-front corner of their new SUV.

Mary's side.

John walked away. Mary was helicoptered to the nearest trauma center. Doctors could not repair her mangled legs and amputated both of them below the knee.

Mary's life will never be the same. Neither will John's.

Like so many other friends I'm praying God's healing and comfort. Courage, too, for both of them, every day.

Courageous people seldom see themselves as heroes

For another wonderful couple I know, let's call them Jim and Jenny, this scenario is familiar territory. When she was a young mother Jenny contracted a type of flesh-eating bacteria.

Doctors gave them a choice: Her legs or her life. They chose life.

Surgeons severed her legs well above the infected area, up to her knees. Since then Jenny's prosthetic legs and her walker have been her best buddies. Together this young couple coped, reared their children and made a warm, loving family life.

When asked individually how they got through it, each one said something like, "Well, we knew God wouldn't give us more than we could handle. So we just prayed and kept going."

Tragedy strips away pretenses

After years of happy marriage, Mary and John face the same kind of challenges as they adjust to this new reality. John reports that Mary already is receiving physical therapy. She already can transfer herself from the bed to a wheelchair and will be fitted with prosthetics. After transfer to a long-term rehab facility in another city she's amazing therapists. They predict she'll be walking and driving within six months.

John thanked friends for their support and prayers, then closes his update with this sentence:

"Our lives have changed but we will move forward doing what we want to do in a different way."

When everything else falls away, it's what's inside that counts

Jesus talks about that in Luke 6:45:

Out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.

My friends have an inner reserve on which they draw.

If we continually put the Good Stuff in it's like "filling our tanks," a reserve of courage beyond our own. Then we'll be ready for every day, whatever it brings.

I've found it helpful to underline Bible verses that speak to my heart so I can find them more easily. Verses like these remind me I'm not alone.

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard-pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. —2 Corinthians 4:7-9

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. –Isaiah 41:10

As you read your Bible mark verses you love. Think of them as your internal armor (Ephesians 6:10-18.)

Then when the what ifs come in the night, repeat them and let them balm away your fears. Peace, be still.

Love,

Lenore

When the bottom drops out of life, how can we go on?

July 14, 2012