Follow The Blood

In the current issue of WORLD magazine (9-12-20, p.38), Mindy Belz reports on the struggles facing the country of Lebanon as it deals with the aftermath of the recent explosion in Beirut.  She arrived in person four days after the blast and describes the effects of what is being called “one of the largest non-nuclear explosions in history.”  But compounding the problem is the country’s financial situation.  Lebanon’s currency has been devalued by 90 percent over the past 10 months due to government corruption and loan defaults.  Of course, all of this is taking place in the midst of the COVID 19 pandemic which also is compounding things.  But in the midst of it all, Belz speaks of the resolve of many of the Lebanese people who are stepping up to do what they can to help, even with little resources.

The opening paragraph of her article contained a word picture that made me think.  “One thing the victims of the August explosion in Beirut all said in recounting their stories: They could tell where to go by following the trails of blood.  As evening fell in the hour after the blast, they struggled to leave buildings blocked by debris and broken glass, only to make it to streets filled with rubble and pancaked cars”  Then later in the piece, she says this: “There are protests and unrest, to be sure, in such times of crisis.  But there are also people who know their call is to follow the blood and the hurt, the way Jesus would do, without letting up.”

Sometimes Christians struggle to find their role in the kingdom.  “What does God want me to do?”  “How could God use me?”  Sometimes it's as simple following the trails of blood.  The world is full of hurting people.  Sometimes it may be literal blood from literal wounds.  It could also be the figurative “bloodshed” of emotional or relational wounds that are just as real as the physical ones.  But either way, the trails are there to follow.

God loves you!

Mike

Warning Lights

            On our recent trip, we were heading down a lonely stretch of SH 89 from McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park on our way to Lassen Volcanic National Park.  Although the scenery was great, there was not much of anything else available in the way of modern amenities, like cell service.  All of a sudden, several warning lights lit up the instrument panel in the van.  I pulled over, expecting the serpentine belt on the engine had broken.  A quick look under the hood showed the belt still in place and the engine still running fine.  At that point, I suspected the alternator wasn’t charging like it should.  So we shut off all non-essential electrical gadgets (like the air conditioner on a 100 degree day) and headed back to the motel, some 80 miles away.  Thankfully, we made it and a test at a local auto parts store confirmed that the alternator was, indeed, malfunctioning.  A new one was purchased (along with several tools that match ones I already own back in the garage at home).  The next morning, with a cooler engine and a lighter wallet, the alternator was replaced and we were back on the road.

            While no one wants to see warning lights come on, they are there for a very important purpose -- to alert us to an issue that can potentially lead to even greater problems.  In most cases, they get our attention before catastrophic engine damage occurs.  Their message?  Fix this before things get worse or you will regret it!

God provides warning lights on the instrument panel of our spiritual lives.  These “check engine” lights illuminate when things aren’t working properly and, if not corrected, can lead to bigger problems.  Like when partners in a marriage begin to mistreat one another.  Harsh words, inattention, a “harmless” or “innocent” interaction with a third party -- things that don’t seem like a big deal at the start.  But God’s warning light comes on and we ignore it.  And, the next thing you know, a marriage is destroyed.

Pay attention to the warning lights!

 

God loves you!

Mike