By: Donna Clark
The last few days have had me running the gamut of emotions. From the attempted assassination of a former president to the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics. I’ll be honest, I’ve felt sorrow, shock, anger, disgust, and then feelings that I don’t even know how to describe with words. What in the world is the world coming to?
Some of the past events really hit home when just a few nights ago my 7-year-old grandson came for a spend-the-night with Gigi and Pops. He shared with me a horrible nightmare that he had just a few nights prior. In his dream, an intruder had broken into his family’s home and had killed his dad, mom, and himself. The only survivor was his baby brother. You might automatically think his parents should be mindful of the television programs he’s watching or the video games he’s playing but that reasoning doesn’t apply in this case. This fellow’s mind is on baseball, fishing, deer hunting, and beating me in a hand of Skip-Bo. Not from his surroundings at school either, his mom has made the choice and sacrifice to homeschool, for which I am so thankful. No, the thoughts that drove that horrible night came from the shooting of Donald Trump, and there was no way to shield a child from all the attention of the action from someone in a very dark place.
I watched a recap of the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics. A beautiful event with so many talented athletes who have worked so hard and sacrificed so much, and this was the choice to begin the days of gold, silver, and bronze? I can’t say with certainty that this was intended to be offensive to the Christian community, but sadly it was received as such and my heart grieves. BUT…I was reminded with all the evil that seems to be growing at an exponential rate, there is hope! And we are not to lose heart or faith! So, if you’ve been like me, felt a little like the wind has been knocked out of your sails from all the latest happenings, let me encourage you as my God encouraged me. In His word, He teaches us to “think on the good things” and that’s exactly what I’ve attempted to do — take a 180⁰ turn and instead of worrying, wringing my hands over the worst, to look at the good!
On July 13, I had the honor of participating in a National Serve Day through my church. Our campus, along with 26 others and over 22,000 people, reached out to those hurting in our communities. As a national effort, over 2700 churches participated to bring hope to their needy ones also. Convoy of Hope partnered with us, and trailers filled with food and essentials were delivered. Those items were then unloaded, bagged, and distributed to those less fortunate. Widows, veterans, the elderly were helped along with lawn care and cosmetic touches to our schools as they prepare to begin the new school year. Letters of hope were written to inmates in our correctional facilities and care packages, including Bibles and words of encouragement, were prepared for women escaping abuse. Our church was able to accomplish so much, and the feeling of helping others is beyond words. And while we were serving in all the areas and opportunities we were given, I heard about one of our local Limestone County churches that gathered on a Sunday afternoon and packed 70 backpacks with school supplies for less fortunate kids and 25 bags for teachers. Whether it’s on a huge scale or smaller, it doesn’t matter. People seeing a need and helping others is what matters. According to God’s Word, isn’t that what we are to be doing? Can I encourage you to do the same?
From July 25-27, our church hosted the Motion Conference in Birmingham, AL. Over 12,000 kids participated from thirty-two states and several countries. This younger generation was there to learn about the relationship they can have with Jesus Christ and many accepted Him as their Savior. Their life is forever changed, and now they begin a relationship with a God who loves them immensely,
understands heartache and pain, and is always present to guide and direct. Some of these kids are not in good places, the home life is less than perfect, and they’ve experienced hurt on many different levels. I was so excited to hear the report of the weekend…there is hope! A generation following us that will have the truth of God’s Word active in their lives!
All the good that is happening, the work that is being done, helps me to focus on the positive things and not lose heart. I pray it does you too.
By: Donna Clark
December 20, 2024
