"HOW THE STORY ENDS"
by Mikal Frazier, LMFT, LPC
My son said, "Mother, if you wouldn't watch all that news your blood pressure might go down." I replied, "Oh, Jamey, I have read the book and I know how the story ends. I am very interested though to see how it all unfolds."
At a time when the news can be very disconcerting, there are reassurances from God's word. First of all, why would we expect that life would be easy or without difficulty? Job told us "Man born of woman is short of days and full of trouble."
Some have allowed the events of September 11, 2001, to rob them of their faith. They have asked how a good and loving God can stand by and not prevent such pain and wickedness. I have had to wonder at the selfishness of such a mindset. Many other atrocities, of even a worse kind have been committed by
the wicked of the world and we chose to have our faith. Hitler slaughtered millions more than were killed on our home front a year ago. Yet when such overt evil fell on our doorstep some began to wonder "Where is this loving, caring God and does he exist after all?"
Yes, I am aware of the beautiful writings of several who identified blessings and gifts of life in the midst of our national tragedy. My thoughts right now are directed to those who would allow the terrorist attack to shake their
faith, or allow others to mock those of us who do believe.
Recently I heard a young man by the name of Charles Johnson speak to a group of counselors. He works with inner-city youth who have grown up in extreme poverty and moral depravity. He has a very successful program called the "Ten Rites of Passage." He said the very first thing he wants these young people to know is that life is hard. He said, "From the womb to the tomb, from birth to death, from the cradle to the grave, I want them to know that life is hard." They must come to terms with the fact that there is no utopia.
The dream is not out there for any of us. Larry Crabb states it well in his book Inside Out. There he explains that we were created for a perfect world, with a perfect relationship with the Father and perfect relationships with one another. But that was lost in the garden. We do not have it here. But we will always yearn for it. What we have now is our hope, our settled assurance that we will enjoy our "glorious inheritance" in time. That IS how the story ends.
As Christians, this troublesome time calls us to faith. Faith in a God who is good and is the only answer. Scott Peck says it well. As he examines the ubiquitous presence of evil, he identifies the most awesome question of all. Here in the midst of a world where there are thieves, murderers, terrorists,
moths, rust and decay, Peck asks, "Where does good come from?" In this fallen world, that is the marvel, that there is any good. But we know that the author of every good and perfect gift is God. (James 1:17)
We've been singing about this for a while. Now that it has hit us squarely, let us return to the things we knew before. Let us put on the whole armor of God, that we can stand against the wiles of the devil. "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the
rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." (Ephesians 6:11)
- "Troublesome times are here. filling men's hearts with fear...
- but "Jesus is coming soon morning or night or noon...
- Righteous meet in the skies, going where no one dies,
Heavenward bound."
That is how the story ends.
* * * * *
PERCEPTIONS
"Excerpts from the President's Message Concerning 9-11"
"Countless people have asked me, 'what can I do to help the war on terror?' The answer: overcome evil with acts of goodness. Love a neighbor. Reach out to somebody in need. Feed someone who is hungry, teach a child to read, or join in community efforts to prepare for emergencies by helping local firefighters and police." You can read other excerpts from the president's message.
at
http://www.allaboutfamilies.org/sh/percep200220.html
* * * * *
If you have questions about marriage and family relationships, you can "ASK THE COUNSELOR." Address your questions to Mikal Frazier. Her address is
mikal@allaboutfamilies.org