Social media instantly connects us with tragedies and
crises all over the world. The current Covid-19 crisis now dominates our thoughts. Sometimes, I wish we could revert to a simpler
life where we only listened to radio or read the papers before the advent of cable
news and social media. Mass shootings, natural disasters, terrorism. starvation
come at us every day. With each, our national conversation once again focuses
on prevention, preparedness, or help as it rightly should. We pray and reach out to help our fellow Americans and others across the world who are suffering through the
shock of losing loved ones, life, and property.
While pre-crisis management is valuable, matched with
comfort and support for everyone affected, we must also come to grips with a
stark fact. As hard as we try, we simply cannot control everything.
For most of us, life doles out a succession of disturbing
and unexpected losses and challenges. The unexpected smashes into us with the
full force of a brawny football tackle. We DO have control though over how to
navigate life’s storms by making sure we build our lives on the solid rock of
Jesus’ strength, love and comfort.
At times, we stand tall on the Solid Rock. At other
times, we are curled up in a knot of pain resting on the Rock. Sometimes, we
are hanging on to a rock by our fingertips wondering how long we can last. And
often, our response to tragedy is a mix; standing, falling, grasping, standing
up again, desperately asking God for His mercy and intervention to help us make
it through each hour of a shocking day or season.
Times like these need the assurance of timeless
scriptures.
Psalm 55:22 “Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain
you...”
Psalm 157:3 “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”
Jesus is THE Solid
Rock.
