Good News, Bad News

It's always hard to answer when a person asks which would you like to hear first...the good news or the bad news? Today we didn't have a choice and we started with the good news...a soccer victory for our daughter this AM as they won 3-1, followed by a football victory for our second son 20-0. They both played great and hustled extremely well. They are exciting to watch!

We got home and found out more good news -- the Hawkeyes beat ISU 27-17 after trailing 14-3! It's about time we beat those Cyclones! I'll root for them every other game -- but not against the Hawks!

Then came the bad news -- a friend of ours whose son & daughter-in-law had just delivered through emergency C-section this beautiful little girl on WED had to break the news to us that this precious little one (3.5 pounds!!) had just passed away.

How do you respond to something like that? In one sense you know that this child is better off because I believe we have a Big God who has now received her into heaven. Yet I struggle in knowing what to say and how to be attentive. I look at my six beautiful children and say "thank you God" for mine, knowing full well it could be any one of them anytime.

Yet this isn't about me -- it's about this family. How do we respond as people of faith? I'm sure we'll do provide prayer and help for a short time -- but how do you provide assistance over the long haul? Grief is a one day at a time thing...for some it doesn't manifest until much later, and for others, they never really come out and express it.

I know that in Romans it says we are to laugh with those who are laughing and then to grieve with those experiencing grief. I pray that our community of Christ followers will do the same with this family and allow them to work through their grief and assist them as much as possible.

I pray that today you'll cherish the good news you receive and also be prepared for the bad that may come. The only way I know how to do that is in my relationship with Jesus Christ. Knowing that He went to the cross so that I may be forgiven...knowing that when I asked Him to forgive me -- He really did!...knowing that since I believe in Jesus, he now leads my life, and that I can trust Him with everything that happens -- good or bad! Do you have that confidence? I hope that you do.

If you don't...do something simple for me right now. Ask Jesus into your heart. Ask Him to lead your life. Tell Him you need Him for more than just those 'help me' prayers, but that you need him for everything. Ask Him -- I know He'll respond...because I know that He loves you!

That's really the best news ever!