In a recent text message placed to my number by mistake a young lady summed up her fears - "I'm worried about what's taking place in our world". The message may have been misplaced but the sentiment was not. She was truly worried. The storm of hurricane Katrina had brought to the surface fears she had concelled in her inmost thoughts. She is not alone, many people have been shaken in recent years with the terror of 911, the tsunami, and this hurricane - fear is the most common reaction.
When I was young my dad would swing me high into the air. At first I felt fearful that he might somehow swing me too high, that I might fall out and be injuried. I learned however that I could not only trust his judgment when he was swinging me but even more so in my injury. That trust was developed over a period of time where our relationship was nutured to fullness. It is much the same with our heavenly Father. Everything is easier to understand if you know the one who holds the swing. If you have built a relationship with the Father. If you understand his love for you.
I have been impressed as I have watched survivor after surivor come out of the wave of destruction praising God. People who have lost all that they have in the physical relm seem to hold most tightly to what has not been lost their hope in a God that loves them. I know that many would look at the destruction, the loss of life, the reaction times, the poverty levels, etc... but those who know the one who holds the swing look only to his love.
We as a people begin the process of rebuilding in the lives of those who have lost all, let us do so in a way that draws them closer to understanding the God who loves them. Let us give sacraficially, with kindness, and patience allowing for moments where relationships will meet fullness. It may be many years of nurturing the trusts of each other that forges a path toward a loving God. It will be through prayer and putting feet to prayers where fears will meet their end. The God who holds the swing is also the God who picks you up when you fall. You can trust his judgments continually.
In His Service,
Scott Chadwick
