Response

Standing by the freshly dug grave, I watched as a heavy-hearted couple made their way up the steep hill. The father served as the lone pallbearer. Only one person was needed to carry the small casket holding the body of his infant son. He placed the casket on the nylon straps that would lower it into the grave. What do you say to parents who have lost a child? I remember only hugs and tears as we waited for the rest of the family to gather on the windy hillside.

Oh, man, I really want to say it. The words are right there on the tip of my tongue. They are as sharp as a sword and hot enough to burn through the person who has just unloaded on me, insulted me, or said something disparaging. So often, I search for the right words to say. I consult a dictionary and a thesaurus. But I need no reference tools on these occasions! The volcanic words erupt from deep within. They make the twelve-inch journey from my heart to my lips in a nanosecond. Their engines roar on the runway of my tongue, ready to take off like an X-15 fighter jet!

God has your back. Let him cover for you.

With broken hearts, tearful eyes, and quivering lips we acknowledge that God is the giver of our first breath and the One who determines our last.

At the end of the day the words, “Take courage!” from the heavenly Father is the only response we need.

With broken hearts, tearful eyes, and quivering lips, we acknowledge that God is the giver of our first breath and the one who determines our last.

What a response to God! What generosity! Remember these were “freewill offerings” the people were bringing. They were giving voluntarily from a heart of worship in response to God’s amazing love and grace. How are you doing with your freewill offerings?