2-16-24

On the internet there is a video of a soldier, Travis Mills, who is a motivational speaker. He is probably 35-40 yrs old. Articulate, nice looking and funny. If you get to see his videos on a FB page called Goalcast, please watch. He lost both of his arms and legs in Afghanistan when he was 25. Basically, his story is about how he found himself in Walter Reed hospital with no limbs and didn’t understand why God did not let him just die. He had a beautiful young wife, and a 6 mo old baby girl. During that dark first 5 mo when he couldn’t even feed himself, he wondered what he had done to make God hate him. At 5 months post injury, he was healed enough to get prosthetic limbs. He could now feed himself and started to learn to walk. It was a long and painful process. He now leads a more “normal” life being able to do so many things that most of us take for granted. While he was laying in bed about the 2nd month a man came into the room that he describes as a “robot”. He had been blown up as well and told him that he would be fine. He realized if that man could be ok, so could he. He then went around the hospital which is mostly filled with traumatic injuries and told the men and women there that they would be ok. That God has a purpose for them.

I want you to think for a minute, if you woke up in a hospital bed with these injuries, what would you say to God? Would you curse Him? Would you ask “why”? Would you ask Him to die? All these things and more went through Travis’ mind. When his baby daughter came to see him in the hospital, he was concerned that she would be afraid of him because he looked like a monster. Then she started to giggle and coo. He knew it would be “ok”. His life was forever changed, but with God, he could make a new life with new challenges and he would embrace it.

Most of us will never have to face such a dramatic situation. But we all have to face things we would rather not face. Losses! Loss of loved ones, sometimes loss of home, loss of marriage, loss of money, loss of jobs, loss of dreams. God sees our hurt, our tears and He is not unaffected. He hurts for us too and we know that because when he saw Mary and Martha crying because Lazurus was dead, the bible tells us that He wept. One of the reasons Jesus came to earth was so that WE would know that he has felt the things we feel, so He can truly comfort us.

Today, whatever your challenges are, turn to Him. Turn to the one who will never leave or forsake you. Embrace what He has to offer. Know that He loves you beyond our comprehension.

Dear Father, how do we ever thank you for all that you give us? Especially the gift of salvation! Help us to face each day in a way that will honor you. Help our words to always be pleasing to you. In His Holy Name, Amen.      Shirlene Peterson