Perspective
Life has a way of happening. Many of you know this all too well.
It was only a couple of months ago that my family was gathered together at my parents house and we were remarking about how blessed our families have been. We were thanking God that we had relatively little crisis in our immediate family. Well, as many of you know that truth changed quickly on October 2nd when my brother fell from a tree stand, broke his back, and injured his spinal cord. The last two weeks have been, for me, an exercise in perspective. All of a sudden, things that mattered a lot being a lot less important. As my brother said in a recent update, "It's all small stuff."
Well, it is, and it isn't. Little things matter; big things that are little things until life changes. I guess it all depends on perspective. I've never thought much about walking from my chair to the kitchen to grab a cup of coffee before. I've not thought much about three stairs or cracks in the pavement until my brother recently lost his ability to walk - at least for now.
I've also had my faith challenged as I think about miracles. I desperately want a miracle for my brother, yet I sometimes find myself lacking faith. I find myself sometimes living up to my name-sake - Doubting Thomas. And yet I pray, "Lord I believe; help my unbelief."
In the midst of tragedies, the Bible takes on new meaning as well. In The Story class last week Wednesday, we talked about Abraham and his faith and trust during times of uncertainty. This week we hear from Joseph who says, "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done..." And the Body of Christ has been so palpable in lifting me and my family up. I realize that underneath the eagle's wings of Isaiah 40 are the people of God that he has deployed to carry us when we can't stand. "Even youths grow tired and weary; and young men stumble and fall."
We are all living out at different stages and with different challenges the lives God has called us into. We are all faced with different daily challenges and whether it's a life-threatening disease, a "minor" surgery, the loss of a job, the crash of the financial markets, a broken relationship - our only hope is to seek the God who longs to be found and to lean up Him, upon his power, and upon his strength. I'm learning again to lean and finding that in our weakness, He is strong.
I don't know what you're carrying today, but I do know that God is sufficient to meet you and I, to carry us, and to deliver us by His grace and power. Thank you for your love and care for myself and for my family through these times.
Together in the Christ,
Tom Elenbaas
FourPoints - North/South/East/West 
