From ordinary to life changing
Posted on October 22, 2009 by Pastor Tom
Yesterday, a gunmen entered the Workman’s Comp building in downtown Edmonton. He proceeded to the 8th floor and took 8 hostages. The standoff with police took 10 hours. Thankfully one by one he released the hostages. A half hour after the last hostage was released he gave himself up.
I was thinking about the workers and their families. Yesterday morning, it was an ordinary day where they expected to go to work, do their job, come home and be reunited with their families. But by the end of the day families throughout the city had to call a special emergency info hotline set up by the police to gain information about their loved ones.
I suspect many families were much more intentional about welcoming their loved ones home from work that day. Events like yesterday remind me again of the fragile nature of life. What a gift that can so quickly be whisked away.
One of the best life perspective books I’ve read in the past year is “Don’t Waste Your Life,” by John Piper. If yesterday’s events have you thinking about important things in life, it’s a great read. You can get the book for about $10 or read it online for free. Here’s the link
Thank God for life!
O to be understood!
Posted on October 14, 2009 by Pastor Tom
We all long to be understood. One definition of the word understand goes like this: “To know thoroughly by close contact with or long experience of.” Another states “to know and be tolerant or sympathetic toward the needs, feelings or views of another.” Does anyone understand you like that?
Our current culture may not contribute much to understanding even though we’re more “connected” than ever before. An email may be poorly written. A text message carries a threatening tone. A Facebook invite excludes.
I appreciate Dave Branon’s comments on understanding. It’s hard but it’s worth it!
“It’s feeble avoidance to say we can’t understand one another. We can and we must. It takes time – time spent in one another’s presence asking questions, listening intently, then asking again. It’s as simple and as difficult as that.
No one, of course, can fully plumb the mystery of another person’s heart, but we can learn something new every day. The wise man of Proverbs called understanding a “wellspring of life” (16:22), a deep source of wisdom to all who seek it.
Again, I say, understanding takes time – one of the most precious gifts we can give to others. How we choose to spend our time is the surest indicator of how much we care for those we love.”
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