Prayers For Poland-A Country in Mourning

Today thoughts are...

Filled with sorrow and sadness for the country of Poland. As the night is winding down and I prepare for tomorrow's light my prayers go out to the people of Poland.

THE COUNTRY LOST ALL OF THEIR MAJORS LEADERS INCLUDING THEIR PRESIDENT AND PRIME MINISTER EARLIER TODAY IN A PLANE CRASH. PRAY FOR POLAND DURING THIS TIME OF REBUILDING, THIS TIME WHICH POLAND AND ITS LEADER WERE GOING TO HONOR THE 70TH ANNIV. OF 20,000 SOLDIERS BEING KILLED BY THE SS IN WII. THIS IS A HORRIFIC TWIST OF IRONY AND MY PRAYERS GO TO THE PEOPLE OF POLAND!!!

How does one deal with loss? Losing someone or even something is always a very trying often traumatic experience. Having my great-grandpa pass away in October, the idea of loss has been close to my mind. When my older brother was T-boned by an F-250 on Feb. 3rd this year the idea of loss came rushing back into my mind, along with a flutter of emotions. Panic. Sadness. Anger. All emotions I felt both when my great-grandpa passed and first hearing of Jacob's car accident w/minor injury.

My family knew great-grandpa was going to pass, but even knowing and having time to say goodbye doesn't make the situation any easier. After I said goodbye that Sunday night in October I headed back to Shawnee, back to OBU for class the next day. No more than an hour or two once I returned to school (around 10:30pm) my mother called to let me know of great-grandpa's passing. Just a few hours earlier he was giving me his advice on how to live your life and how we should be thankful to be an American, and should be a good citizen. I burst into tears immediately and wished I would have stayed with my older brother who was with Grandpa John as he passed away. Then I was in panic mode. Next I was sad. Then I was angry/sad because my Grandpa Warren, G-Grandpa John's son was hurting. These same feelings emerge on Feb. 3rd 6:45 a.m. when I received a call from my younger brother Josh informing me of Jacob's car accident. All I knew was Jacob had a head injury and he was in the hospital only 500 yards from my dorm. Another 500 yards was where his car had been hit from an F-250 and nearly another 500 yards was where his friend Jonathan lived, where Jacob had departed from for work that early morning. I panicked not knowing the severity of Jacob's condition, angry at myself from making him stay the night because of the fog, angry at the driver of the other vehicle, then sad as I saw my brother (somewhat unaware of what happened to him and where he was) on a gurney bleeding from his head and safe!

In each of these moments I just had to pray and thank the Lord for the safety of my family members. Great-Grandpa with the Maker in heaven and Jacob alive in the ER. Through each experience the sadness, anger, and panic God created an opportunity for growth. After Jacob's accident we went to the towing yard to view the damage of Jacob's car. We were shocked to see his entire driver's side crushed in all the way to the steering column and the steering column was now in the center of the car. God protected Jacob as his entire left side should have been crushed or even worse, death. The man who hit Jacob was there checking out the damage on his own vehicle. Jacob used that time to make sure the man was a believer in Christ and witnessed to the man. We were more worried about the man having a heart attack from the fear that he had killed Jacob then Jacob's car been completely totaled. Jacob and that man shared a moment, a moment bowing down to God's greatness which kept both men safe from any real physical danger and/or death.

How can one recover from grief, sadness, tragedy, and the emotions that come along with that? Jesus. Belief in Christ dying for our sins and the love of the Father who protects us in Heaven.

My grief, sadness, and anger were temporary and for the country of Poland they will be recovering from the catastrophic event for many years. My problems, my losses are so minuscule compared to others like Poland, and the families suffering the direct losses of their members, the country loosing most of the high-up government officials. Remember to be thankful for what you have and be secure in your faith knowing Christ Jesus, Lord is our Abba Father, Protector, King of Kings, and all grief, losses, sadness, anger can be handled with God at the helm of our lives!!!

-Today’s Thoughts-