Being Surprised with The World

I am always amazed by everyone who is surprised when disaster strikes, when war breaks out, when terror happens, when disease happens, death ................I, also find myself surprised, awed, wondering........... I think about all the suffering and pain and cannot find the words sometimes to offer friends, loved ones- when they have suffered things unimaginable to us, to me. 

When the front page of every newspaper, news channel, news online, blogs.........slam you with pictures of horror, war, terror, death. I have been a part of all these terrible things going on in life. 

I lost many in my family - some way too young- to disease, accident, one at the hand of another. Family members in every war....some home, some not, lives changed forever. Lost co-workers in 9/11, watched a dear friend go to Afghanistan to fight terrorism--come back a completely different man. Awed, speechless, hurt. Earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, tornadoes, famines, poverty, pain.

Yet, Jesus still says:

You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.~ Matthew 24:6-7

I do think was does surprise me the most-- is the utter hatred humans have for one another. Hate. This hurts my gut, my inner most parts. When I watch humans rise against each other for  ______________ (fill in the blank with whatever you would like). How just the utterances of words that come out of the mouths of people cause death. Yes, death. 

People so much want everyone to be their own people-- creating so much division with "to each his own" "whatever blows your fan" -- that they forget to realize we need each other. We were made to fellowship. We were made for relationships. Saddens me, it does, to watch walls being built between people. The greed, the pride, the self-righteousness.......... The believed freedom that they create their own destiny.................hmm, in a way they do, right? Heaven or Hell...that's the destiny. 

Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. ~ Matthew 10:21

Jesus knew these things would happen, but, we, we who call ourselves different must make sure we know the destiny.... We will be hated, mocked, made fun of....no matter how much anyone says "to each his own" to us---we will be on trial, all the time:

You will be hated by everyone because of Me,but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.~Matthew 10:22

You can't turn away....you must hang in there. If you stay firm until the end, it's all worth it Brothers & Sisters. It is. And don't be lukewarm:

So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of My mouth. ~Revelation 3:16

Stay faithful, stay in the race....don't turn away. There is a reward for you. That will be in a post to come.

Me