God’s blessing comes to us in unusual ways. Doesn’t it? All professional Christians – specially Ministers know that!
For a number of months now my wife and I planned to get away for a few days to celebrate our 39th Anniversary. We planned our trip to Montreal, Quebec… where we are today. But His blessings come in unusual ways as I said above.
Our train rolled into Montreal at just after 2:00 PM. There was to be a short ride in a Taxi to the hotel where we are staying through familiar streets. The streets, however, were filled with young people – many running along the street. It was unusual for 2:00 in the afternoon.
When we arrived at our hotel room, the TV news was flashing pictures from the Dawson College Shooting that had happened about an hour before. A man dressed in black had shot about 20 students and some were in serious condition. Many were nearby and many more could have died. That is why the sirens and the police vehicles were all over the place. Now it made sense. There were 10,000 young adults in the college and they were being evacuated only a short distance from our Taxi ride and not far from our hotel area – and no one knew for sure how many more shooters there were and how dangerous the situation would continue to be. Montreal’s world was turned upside by guns.
What an anniversary. Last night we prayed for the people involved.
Today as part of the day’s activities, my wife and I were able to attend a local minister’s meeting. As we shared prayer requests with each other one pastor described how their church is close to the Dawson College and how the young adults were coming into the church asking for help. There was a wonderful time of prayer together. The way that the pastors shared in prayer was so uplifting.
Pastor Saul Ho described how his son, who studies in the same building, was in the northeast area of the college and was able to quickly get out of the building when the reports came their way.
Following this meeting we spent the afternoon and evening with some very special friends in an art gallery, and then over Chinese food and followed by fresh Bagels.
God’s blessings come in unusual ways. Today we were able to pray with others, we cried with others and we encouraged others. And above all we were encouraged. All of it happened on our 39th Anniversary celebration. But there is more to the story…
A long time ago….
39 years ago when we were married we lived about 60 miles from here and I was not what I am today. So much has changed since those days. But 39 years I was running from God, went into the same art gallery and also ate Chinese food and Bagels – but I was very, very unhappy. I had run away from God and had no intention of coming back. But God had a different plan. He followed me and loved me – no matter what. He set me free.
When I prayed today – I knew I was truly free. The tears flowed freely.
Just after we prayed with the pastors, God gave me another blessing. The cell phone rang and a very special “niece” of ours called to see how we were doing. It was our “Irene” – a young lady that had attended university in our city and has become like a niece to us. She is a young lady that had come to know God in a special way, graduated university and returned home. The call was all the way from Indonesia. Thanks for the blessing Irene…!
I have found a verse that makes more sense than ever before…
Lamentations 3:21-26 (The Living Bible)
21 Yet there is one ray of hope:
22 his compassion never ends. It is only the Lord's mercies that have kept us from complete destruction.
23 Great is his faithfulness; his loving-kindness begins afresh each day.
24 My soul claims the Lord as my inheritance; therefore I will hope in him.
25 The Lord is wonderfully good to those who wait for him, to those who seek for him.
26 It is good both to hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.
(TLB)
~ Pastor Murray ~
For a number of months now my wife and I planned to get away for a few days to celebrate our 39th Anniversary. We planned our trip to Montreal, Quebec… where we are today. But His blessings come in unusual ways as I said above.
Our train rolled into Montreal at just after 2:00 PM. There was to be a short ride in a Taxi to the hotel where we are staying through familiar streets. The streets, however, were filled with young people – many running along the street. It was unusual for 2:00 in the afternoon.
When we arrived at our hotel room, the TV news was flashing pictures from the Dawson College Shooting that had happened about an hour before. A man dressed in black had shot about 20 students and some were in serious condition. Many were nearby and many more could have died. That is why the sirens and the police vehicles were all over the place. Now it made sense. There were 10,000 young adults in the college and they were being evacuated only a short distance from our Taxi ride and not far from our hotel area – and no one knew for sure how many more shooters there were and how dangerous the situation would continue to be. Montreal’s world was turned upside by guns.
What an anniversary. Last night we prayed for the people involved.
Today as part of the day’s activities, my wife and I were able to attend a local minister’s meeting. As we shared prayer requests with each other one pastor described how their church is close to the Dawson College and how the young adults were coming into the church asking for help. There was a wonderful time of prayer together. The way that the pastors shared in prayer was so uplifting.
Pastor Saul Ho described how his son, who studies in the same building, was in the northeast area of the college and was able to quickly get out of the building when the reports came their way.
Following this meeting we spent the afternoon and evening with some very special friends in an art gallery, and then over Chinese food and followed by fresh Bagels.
God’s blessings come in unusual ways. Today we were able to pray with others, we cried with others and we encouraged others. And above all we were encouraged. All of it happened on our 39th Anniversary celebration. But there is more to the story…
A long time ago….
39 years ago when we were married we lived about 60 miles from here and I was not what I am today. So much has changed since those days. But 39 years I was running from God, went into the same art gallery and also ate Chinese food and Bagels – but I was very, very unhappy. I had run away from God and had no intention of coming back. But God had a different plan. He followed me and loved me – no matter what. He set me free.
When I prayed today – I knew I was truly free. The tears flowed freely.
Just after we prayed with the pastors, God gave me another blessing. The cell phone rang and a very special “niece” of ours called to see how we were doing. It was our “Irene” – a young lady that had attended university in our city and has become like a niece to us. She is a young lady that had come to know God in a special way, graduated university and returned home. The call was all the way from Indonesia. Thanks for the blessing Irene…!
I have found a verse that makes more sense than ever before…
Lamentations 3:21-26 (The Living Bible)
21 Yet there is one ray of hope:
22 his compassion never ends. It is only the Lord's mercies that have kept us from complete destruction.
23 Great is his faithfulness; his loving-kindness begins afresh each day.
24 My soul claims the Lord as my inheritance; therefore I will hope in him.
25 The Lord is wonderfully good to those who wait for him, to those who seek for him.
26 It is good both to hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.
(TLB)
~ Pastor Murray ~
posted by Murray Lincoln at
Thursday, September 14, 2006
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home