Monday, January 21, 2008

Safe in the Arms of my Loving Savior

As I sit in front of what I feel has been my lifeline these last couple of days... well other than my Bible... and my Savior... I feel at a loss of things to say. My happy-go-lucky, every thing's good world has been rocked. But the rocking has not been negative... I have seen my God work and make me see Him in some of the most unlikely situations.
It all started when I was busily bumbling around the house cramming a ton of camp preparations into a couple of days... when I heard my cell phone ring... in my room. So I ran like a madman and got there in just enough time... It was Lauren... but this was not the same Lauren that I talk to everyday... this was a very... calm Lauren (not that Lauren is not calm). She told me not to freak out... but she had been in an accident and was bleeding really bad. My heart sank to the farthest depths of the house... I didn't know what to do... but crying would not help anything. And asked her if she was going to the hospital and she said that she was... I told her that we would meet her there... the next couple of minutes were a blur... I told Jonathan who was in our room... and then ran upstairs to tell the girls. They say that I was really calm and that I left out the blood part... All I remember is I was trying to keep the tears from flooding down my face. I'm a guy... I have to be strong for the girls. While I was telling the girls Jonathan had called Hannah who, by the time we were ready, was waiting for us outside with her car. The car ride was very quiet... the only thing you could hear was whispers of prayers being sent up to our loving Savior. When I walked through the doors of the ER I could hear Lauren crying from the pain. Sarah ran to her side. I was too afraid that I would pass out from the blood. I walked aimlessly around the waiting room frantically sending texts all over Taiwan and back to the states asking for prayer for Lauren. The damage was unknown, but the stories from the translators was scary. Friends gathered together with more friends, family gathered together and lifted up prayers and petitions to our loving Savior. I can't begin to even tell you how much time we spent at the hospital... at some point we were told that there was something in her eye and that they needed to transport her to Hualien City. We all wanted to be there by her side... holding her hand and telling her that it was going to be alright. Only two people could ride in the ambulance. So Sarah and our friend Michelle (to do the translating) went along. When they left the hospital, it was off to our house to pray, and cry out for our friend Lauren. It was an amazing time of prayer...
I find it so amazing that our Savior has no language barriers... He is never closed... We will never get a busy signal... He is always there... In the midst of all of what seems on the outside to be turmoil, we had a English camp starting in a matter of days. We had planned to share many things with the kids related to God and the Bible. We saw these things that had been happening as attacks from our enemy... Satan. He did not want the love of our loving Savior shared with these kids. Even after Lauren began to heal, he threw us another fiery dart. Sarah found out that her little brother had had a seizure and was in the hospital. Sarah was very distrait. She has spent every waking hour for the past many days with Lauren, she had gone on little sleep, and had the same clothes on for a couple of days. We again, went running to out loving Savior... He is the only one that will provide true strength, healing, and comfort. Jonathan and I decided that we would let Sarah spend time taking care of Lauren and relaxing... we now needed to fill the spot of two teachers at our camp. The Lord provided us with another teacher, who was willing to come down from the English Village and help us attack this camp.
But Satan still had more darts to throw our way. After eating lunch today, Naomi (the other teacher) began to feel very sick. She thinks that it might just be something in what she ate. So again, we went running back to the one who loves us so... our loving Savior.
He lets all of these things happen for a reason... He wants everything that we do to be done for His glory. He is letting all of this happen for a reason... He will be glorified in the end. And the outcome will not be because of anything that we have done... it will all be because of what He has done... I am reminded through all of this of a couple of things...
The first thing is a hymn that I remember singing in Church. It says,

"Leaning, leaning, leaning safe and secure from all alarms
leaning, leaning, leaning on the Everlastings arms."


When we lean on our loving Savior, we will be safe and secure. The Lord is the one that was keeping Lauren safe in that car... the Lord is the one that is healing her body... the Lord is the one that is letting all of this happen.
Another thing that I am reminded of is a Bible verse. It's in Psalms and it says,

"Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God. They are brought down and fallen: but we are risen, and stand upright."
Psalms 20:7-8


We do not have to worry about trusting in anything else... except trusting in our loving Savior.
The last thing that I am reminded of, is that nothing is to difficult for my God. Even when things are not going our way... when things are looking grim and bleak... I can find strength, comfort, safety, and peace in the arms of my Loving Savior...

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