Good morning Father, Son and Spirit, I enter into this day you have set before me with eyes wide open in anticipation and complete gratitude.--
I pray wherever you are, you are safe from the effects of Irma. I am posting a day late this week. This past weekend was a couple days of fluctuating, real, and raw ministry.
On the challenging side the church that lets me have space in it for an office in was broken into and every office vandalized including mine. In ministering to people I was assaulted, had my headlights and windshield smashed out, and I had a person pull a gun on me.
On the blessing side, I witnessed and heard the testimony of 22 men who’s lives get completely wrecked by the love of God on their Emmaus walk. I got to mentor 4 teenage girls who hearts on now on fire for God. I attended an amazing outreach of the Gospel in a high-crime and high-drug use Latino apartment complex. And I was invited to participate in a community celebration in a HUD housing project. You never know what the next moment will bring in life. I was reminded of this again last night.
Yesterday was the anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attack on the Twin Towers in New York City. My wife Nancy and I watched a documentary on the tragic event on the History Channel, “102 Minutes that Changed America.” We remembered and prayed over those families that lost loved ones in the tragedy. We were also reminded that nothing is guaranteed in this life. As God’s word tells us:
“ 13 Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit." 14 Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. 15 Instead, you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that."16 But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil.17 Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin”. (Jam 4:13-17)
Those that died, were injured, or affected by 9/11 were engaged in their normal day of business when something unimaginable happened; the millions to one odds of a jet crashing into the building they were in. No one would have imagined that happening at the start of their day. Nothing is guaranteed today. All of today is a gift. If there is a “right thing” you know you need to do: towards a family member, friend, co-worker, neighbor, acquaintance, maybe even yourself; then simply do it. Do it today. That is what today was intended for.
My family, I simply pray you will do the right things you know you are to do today. And do them in love and out of love and appreciation for the gift of today. Please pray the same for me. God bless you my friends! You are a gift to me!
Gary Liederbach-Lead Follower
One Direction Community
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