Carol's Song: Do Something

Reading the news is getting more and more (uh, let’s see what word do I want?) confusing, bewildering, disconcerting. I may have to give up seeking to stay abreast of current events and focus on a more narrow “me, my, and our.” That sounds way more selfish that I mean for it to, so perhaps I should re-phrase it to say “focus on that which I have some degree of influence.”

I’m not at all influential, but I can seek to make a contribution to my family, my church, my friends, and my community. All else beyond those four are completely out of my sphere of influence except in prayer, and I’m not very good at prayer! Oh, I love to talk to God, but am not good at “being in prayer.”

When I was a little girl, I often heard the phrase in prayers, “if it be thy will.” I rarely use it because I find that it haunts me and provides an excuse not to pray in faith.

I indeed know some things about God’s will because they are settled from the Scriptures—God created; He loved and gave; Jesus died and rose again; the Lord is my shepherd; He is with me always; love one another; and many, many other proclamations of his will.

Yet, I don’t know how to pray for many serious concerns like economic disaster, pornography, abortion, movement toward one-world government, future quality of life for children, nuclear threats, and the campaign to eliminate Christianity from our nation and our world.

Enough of that paragraph—how depressing!(but still a reality). How do I go about reconciling my strong faith in an all-powerful God with the daily headlines? What can I do? I have two thoughts.

First, I rest in knowing that God has a plan and is at work. I, as well as everyone else, have the privilege of gaining insight into more of his will and his plan as we study his user manual.

Secondly, I do what I can do. Matthew 27:48 tells a story about a young man who demonstrated that when Jesus was near death on the cross. “Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink. The rest said, "Now leave him alone. Let's see if Elijah comes to save him." While others stood and watched, this one did something. He offered Jesus a drink. He couldn’t do everything; but, he could do something. He couldn’t change circumstances. But, ignoring political correctness and jeers of others, he could do something, and he did.