Updates on Becky

This experience has really tested all the words and "answers" I give people when I minister to them in times of crisis. Many times I have met with families in hospital rooms alongside their loved ones and said things like, "God is with you," "Even in the hard times He is here," and "Trust Him, He knows what's best." Without fail these kinds of experiences bring questions like "Why do bad things happen to good people?" and "How could a God of love allow something like this to happen?" My usual response has always been "If bad things only happened to bad people it would be justice not tragedy, and the fact that bad things happen to good people proves that this sinful world is not right, just or fair." Needless to say, my theological theories have been tested to the core over the last 5 weeks, and I still believe that these statements are true. But what has especially dawned on me during this experience is the amazing presence of God throughout these kinds of experiences. N o matter what you lose, (and we all lose something in tragedies like this) God is powerfully present in times like this. What makes the difference is our focus on the powerful presence of God, not the pathetic peril of the problem. (say that 10 times really fast!) I could make a list of the problems:

1. I saw my wife and son's vehicle tumble through a horrifyingly violent accident.

2. They wrecked in the loneliest place in Western Montana.

3. My wife has a C4 spinal injury including paralysis

4. I have medical bills that look to me like the national debt

5. My Jeep Grand Cherokee is a pile of junk

6. I only had liability coverage on it so I didn't get a dime from my insurance for it

7. I had to pay an auto body shop $25 a day to store my piece of junk

8. Our children have had to deal with a very boring summer of hospitals and absent parents.

9. I could go on and on about how crummy this whole experience has been.....

But:

1. My wife and son Spencer are alive! Praise God! Alive! Life is Good!

2. Several of our church members, 2 Nurses, a Dentist, all great Godly people showed up right after the accident in "the loneliest place in Western Montana."

3. Neither Becky nor Spencer suffered any permanent brain injury! Praise God! Becky keeps improving every day, she's "all Becky" and she's beautiful!

4. Seventh-day Adventist worker's health insurance is incredibly good!

5. Who cares about a stupid Jeep! My Wife and Son are alive!

6. God provided a brand new wheelchair accessible van and power wheel chair..FREE! And we found out about it two weeks before the accident! (Just didn't know it was for us yet.)

7. I can probably get enough money from a junkyard to pay for my Jeep storage fees.

8. Our children are the greatest kids any parents could ever hope for!

9. Don't get me started, the blessings far outweigh the problems, praise be to God!

Truly, what we've all experienced here is but a glimpse of what this world faces every day. I have learned that instead of saying, "Why me?" I should say, "Why not me?" These kind of things, and worse, happen constantly around the world. And they happen for a purpose. Revelation 12 tells us the story when it says, "woe to the earth and to the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short." This ancient serpent called the devil or Satan has been hurled down. At the cross his head was crushed (he's the one with the brain injury!), but even to this day he continues to thrash and hiss and bite any and all he can. This is our world. In the process he rejoices when people say, "Why me?" "How could a loving God let this happen?" "If God's so good, why doesn't he do something about this? How can he just stand by and do nothing?" and "Why do bad things happen to good people?" Satan's purpose in all of this is to cause people to ask questions like that. It's his game plan, his strategy as he tries desperately one last time to win his war against God. His attack is centered directly on causing people to doubt and question the justice and love of God as he writhes around in self pity crying "Why me?" Within a world of "Wars and rumors of wars," one war rules them all and it is this "Great Controversy Between Christ and Satan," (by the way, there's a book by that name, get it, read it.). The amazing thing is how the war will ultimately be won. Revelation 12 tells that in verse 11 when it says, "They overcame him (the devil) by the blood of the lamb and by the word of their testimony." The way to win in times like this is to begin with the cross. Recognize that the battle is already won in Christ, He has crushed the serpents head. By Christ's blood, His sacrifice, we have the victory. This is the obvious one that we remember the most. But there is one other aspect of the great controversy that must not be overlooked, and that is that they (God's people) overcome him (Satan) by the blood of the Lamb AND "The word of their testimony." Our Mission in this conflict (should you choose to accept it) is to proclaim at the top of our lungs, "GOD IS GOOD! HE'S THERE WHEN WE HURT! HE PROVIDES BEFORE WE ASK! LIFE OR DEATH, PAIN OR SORROW, HE'S ALREADY WON THE BATTLE, THE VICTORY IS SURE, HIS KINGDOM IS AN EVERLASTING KINGDOM, THOUGH HE SLAY ME YET WILL I TRUST HIM, HE IS JUST, HE IS RIGHTEOUS, HE IS GOOD, HIS LOVE ENDURES FOREVER!

(sorry for the outburst, I haven't preached in 6 weeks!) MAY HE BE PRAISED FOR HIS UNFAILING LOVE!

Barry