A Time To Run

II Corinthians 7:10 -- "Godly grief produces a repentance not to be regretted and leading to salvation, but worldly grief produces death."

I've never been to Boston. I've heard many things about it but have never experienced it for myself. As my friend and I take to the three-mile loop - feet hitting pavement, birds singing around us in deep green brush and fish jumping in the numerous ponds we pass - she tells me a little bit about the loss there. I've kept tabs myself on the bombings - but don't have some of the details that she imparts. I want to cry.

One of the only three people killed during the bombings was an eight year old little girl. Her mother and brother were seriously, permanently damaged - and Dad is left the broken pieces of a family that just that morning was loving and living together - whole.

In the dark, at the airport in Davao City, Philippines - another bomb went off. It killed my high school history teacher, driver's ed coach, father to a couple of boys-grown-men that I grew up with and fellow missionary with the IMB. In all of my years and every year since the incident I think of him often. I will never forget Bill Hyde and the impact he had on so many, many people. Nor will I forget the light he shown so very brightly for Jesus Christ.

I think of Habakkuk's plea and can almost hear the painful inflection of his voice when he asks God "Why do you force me to look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrongdoing?" [Habakkuk 1:3]

God said: "Look around at the nations; look and be amazed! For I am doing something in your own day." [Habakkuk 1:5]

I don't want to see the pain around me.  I, like Habakkuk, don't want to hear the outcries in the midst of misery and despair. There is a reason I almost NEVER tune into the news. ...And I read II Corinthian 7:10. I am somewhat comforted.  There is salvation for us. We can mourn the loss of those killed in terrorist acts. God is showing us something. We might not understand it all at this point in time, but HE is in control. For those who commit these terrible acts? They have only worldly grief - a grief that produces death. We've seen this death.

Our pastor reminded me/us of something this past Sunday. He mentioned Hebrews 2 - how we should strip of every weight that hinders us and run with the endurance the race that God has set before us.

Run. Like the people in Boston. Like Uncle Bill Hyde taught us in Track.

How? It's hard. It's painful. It's long-suffering.

We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus.

We can take time to mourn. Godly grief is good. We can tell God how hurt, tired, and frustrated we are. How sad we are that we have lost a life. There IS a time to mourn.

And then we run. We throw of our anger. Our frustration. Our confusion. Our worldly grief. And we keep running.

This past Sunday - our pastor also said something that I've never really thought about before.  There really is only ONE sin - every other sin on the planet stems from that ONE. What is it? The sin of unbelief. He pointed out that, if I don't tithe - I act out of the unbelief that God will provide. If I act out my anger and avenge the death of those I love killed by terrorists - I act out of the unbelief that vengeance is God's.

If I don't keep running? [this is me talking, not our pastor. I don't want to misquote him] -- I act out of the unbelief that God has a plan to prosper and not to harm. The unbelief that Jesus died that we may have a more abundant life.

I DO believe. I DO have faith. And while it's hard to sit back and "look at around at the nations" I am fully convicted that God IS doing something in our own day. I WILL keep running!