Tag: crisis

Posted on

HOW DO YOU RESPOND TO TRAGEDIES?

While I was driving this morning, I heard of a story about a couple who passed by a bake shop. They saw a delightful and pretty Barbie cake on display.

So the couple stepped in and talked to the store keeper. They said that they wanted to pay for the cake.
“I’m afraid it’s been reserved for a couple who has a little girl celebrating her birthday today,” said the shop keeper.

“Oh, no, no, no… We don’t want to buy the cake. We want to pay for the cake,” said the walk in guests.
Confused, the shop keeper politely asked, “Sorry, I don’t seem to understand. What do you mean?”

“We want to pay for the cake. We won’t take it home. We just want to bless the people buying it. But we would like to write a note for the little girl celebrating her birthday.”

Apparently, this couple had a baby girl that was stillborn. They wanted to celebrate with the couple who had a little girl. Though they had a tragedy happen to them, they found ways to celebrate with others who were blessed to have children. On their note, they wrote, “Happy birthday, dear. Just like your parents, we had a baby girl named Quinn. But she was born sleeping. (This was their way to explain to little girl that their child didn’t make it.) We hope you have a wonderful day!”

We all go through unpleasant and difficult circumstances. But a lot in life is not just what happens to us but also how we respond to what happens to us.

Difficult times squeeze out what’s inside of us – whether good or bad.

May God give us grace to respond in a way that will bring honor and glory to His name.

———

PHOTO CREDIT: https://www.amazon.com/DecoPac-Barbie-Birthday-Cake-Kit/dp/B01DONEADM

Posted on

FIGHTING THROUGH CRISIS

Image

I spoke to a lady this afternoon that was going through a major crisis.

Bankrupt business.
Failed marriage.
Wayward son.

But she came to me not asking for counseling. Neither did she come to seek help regarding her situation. She came to me to ask how she can serve in church.

It was impressive what kind of perspective she had… that though she was going through difficulty (which is a huge understatement), she wanted to look for opportunities to get the focus off herself and onto serving God through the church.

I remember what Pastor Jim Laffoon said many years ago that stuck with me. He said,
“When the devil attacks your camp, launch an all out war against his.”

Paul says in 1 Timothy 6:12, “Fight the good fight of faith.”

While we live by the grace of God, we concurrently need to wake up each morning in fighting mode.

We don’t march toward victory, but we march from victory. And as we do, we march out fighting.

Paul said, “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them…” (1 Corinthians 15:10).

We are saved by grace and we live by grace. But somewhere in there, we fight and work with all our heart because of the very grace that’s been bestowed.