October 8, 2008

by Sheila Walsh on 10/08/2008 01:10

You are loved, you are treasured, you are forgiven, you have hope, and you have a future that nothing can destroy!

Dear Friends,

I'm grabbing a few moments before Barry and Christian get home from soccer practice. Mondays are funny days for me. Usually I get home on a Sunday, and depending on how far I traveled that weekend, feeling as if I have been hit by a Mac truck. No matter how tired I might be, I know that it's really important to keep life as normal as possible for Christian. So when that alarm calls my name at 6 AM, I drag myself out of bed and into the kitchen to make Christian's lunch. Then it's off to take him to school! I know many of you are right there with me! I love being a mom!

Last week was a busy, full week. I flew to Seattle, Washington, the headquarters of World Vision. I was invited to speak at their annual Day of Prayer. I love this ministry so much. Whenever there is a crisis in the world, they are there with food, water, medical supplies, hope, and the love of Jesus Christ. Israel Houghton led worship before I spoke. It was wonderful. Then I flew down to San Jose, California for our Women of Faith conference. I always meet amazing women but I met one mom this past weekend who will stay in my heart for a long time.

This dear woman has already buried one daughter. Her husband and twelve year old son now have the same disease and are dying too. I don't remember the long name of this illness but only 100 families in the whole world have been diagnosed with it. I cannot imagine what it must be like to watch those you love most suffer so. Her twelve year old son is the last in the family to succumb to the disease. When he was tested a few weeks ago, he told his Mom that if he has it, then God must have a reason. The doctors have told her to pray for quick deaths as this is a brutal affliction. I gave her my personal email address and asked her to keep in touch so that we can all pray for her and her husband and son. The only touch of relief that I saw as I listened to her story was the wall of loving and protective friends who stood around her. I do not know how any one copes in this world without faith in a loving and merciful God and the gift of true friends. Please keep this dear woman and her family in your prayers.

As I pray for her, I think of Paul's words to the Church in Corinth:

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being
renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more
exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the
things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen
are eternal."
2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (NKJV)

There is nothing about her suffering that seems "light". I can only hold on to the truth by faith that when she sees Jesus face to face, all this earthly sorrow will fade away.

That is my prayer for you too. You may be going through a time that feels unbearable. I pray that God will give you the strength and vision you need to hold onto His hand and to trust His heart. The scripture that I use in my talk this year brings me great comfort and strength. It is found in the letter to the Hebrews:

"Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it.
Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God
he could put up with anything along the way: cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there,
in the place of honor, right alongside God."
Hebrews 12:2 (The Message)

Jesus never lost sight of where he was headed. He saw what was always true as well as what was true for a moment. As we face these challenging days ahead as a nation, I pray that we will keep our eyes fixed on Jesus and remember that our Father God is in control and our eternal destiny is held safe and secure where moth and rust and Wall Street cannot touch it.

Just remember, you are loved, you are treasured, you are forgiven, you have hope, and you have a future that nothing can destroy!

With much love,

Sheila

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