As I sit down to write page 164 in this year’s story of life, a lot is on my mind.  Some days are more difficult than others to let the mind be still and experience the peace that is found in Christ.  The written part of page 163 concluded with my heading in to work to freshen up bathrooms and make sure everything in the building was ready for Sunday.  I discovered the water in the baptistry was extremely low so I began filling it, then decided to get some things out of my truck while it filled — only to completely forget I had the water running until more time had passed than should have.  Oops!  That made today’s page start much earlier than I had planned.  Instead of a quick clean and then home to bed, the rest of the night was spent working at vacuuming water out of carpet and drying areas that were wet.  By 6:30 in the morning, I had done all I could and the shop vac was no longer pulling water out of the carpet, so I headed home for a few hours of sleep before returning for the morning worship gathering.

As I would take breaks throughout the night, short snippets of breaking news began to form the story of a deadly mass shooting in Orlando.  As suspected, it wasn’t long before the blame game began.  Some blamed the guns, some blamed the victims, some blamed the hatred in our society, some blamed the Republicans, some blamed the Democrats, and in the midst of what seems to be a never-ending list some even blamed the shooter!  As I thought about some of the many responses to the shooting that I have seen throughout the day, my mind went to my favorite verse of scripture — I know I have a lot of them, but this one is at least near the top.  In John 10:10 Jesus says, “The thief comes to steal and to kill and to destroy but I have come that you may have life and life to the full.”  When I led camp weeks, I would tell the campers and faculty multiple times each day, “No matter who you are, no matter what you’ve done, where you’ve been, what you or others think about your life and actions; God loves you very much!”  While Jesus wants to give us life and life abundantly; Satan not only wants to destroy life, he wants to convince us that not all life has value.  When we begin to believe that lie, it is an easy step to a selfish and self-centered lifestyle.  When we accept that all life matters because God is the creator of life, we are grieved and we mourn any and all life that is taken by the hand of another — whether the hand is that of an abortion “doctor”, a criminal element of society, an angry hate-filled person, a person committed to terrorist activities, or one who “assists” others in ending life — among other types of hands that bring an end to life that God created and loves.  If we are accurately representing Jesus, then we will love all people and seek for them a life that is abundant and full.  

After the morning worship gathering, I had lunch then had a restful afternoon trying to allow my mind and body to catch up from the lack of sleep.  By early evening I headed to Potato Creek with my family for a walk on the trails to unwind and enjoy the presence of God among some of His beautiful creation.  

I pray that you and I would value all life as individuals created by, and loved by, God.  I pray that we would understand that we face an enemy that seeks to destroy life in whatever ways he can.  I pray that we would not fall in to the trap of believing there are some people whose life doesn’t matter.  I pray that we would repent of any attitudes that fail to value the created life of all people.  I pray that we would weep with those who weep and mourn with those who mourn — period.