Sleepless in North Kingstown

It's 3:56 on Saturday morning and sleep will not come. Anyone with RLS (Restless Leg Syndrome) can sympathize. For some reason my medication is not working! Oh well! There is always something to be added to my blog and maybe I'll get sleepy in the process.

We spent last evening watching the events unfold near Boston, where the second of two suspects in the Marathon Bombings was apprehended. We were glued to the television all evening, which, by the way, is not normal for me. My heart has been broken as the stories emerge about the victims and their unimaginable injuries, and the loss of life. Of course, my heart goes out to the first responders who will forever have those images etched in their minds. What about the medical personnel whose medical expertise kicked in and emotions had to be squelched? What about the families whose lives are forever changed? And then, I wonder, what caused the suspects to do what they are alleged to have done?

Simplistic as it may seem, any of our lives lived apart from God and his purpose and plan  can lead us down roads that we never imagined possible. It is so important that we acknowledge that God created us for a purpose. He created us to bring honor and glory to Him. When we choose to ignore Him and go our own way, we have chosen the path of ultimate destruction. Our path may not look as extreme and destructive as others, but the potential is there.

I was recently reminded of the great blessing that I had as a child to be born into a home where my parents loved God and taught me to love Him too. They taught me how Jesus died on the cross and rose again, paying for my sins. I accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Savior when I was five years old and God has guided me and enabled me to live for Him for these many years.

The answer is simple, but not easy. Jesus is the answer. The problem is that our world has rejected Him for so long and we have been silent for too long and we have a whole generation of people who do not even know who Jesus is, much less that He died for their sins. May God help us to be bold and loving in our witness so that others can come to know our Lord and Savior. I wonder what would have happened if a loving Sunday School teacher or Pastor had reached this family with the gospel many years ago? We have today! We have our circle of influence! What will we do with our opportunities?