THE UNEXPECTED | Frank Becker

Week Twenty-Nine, 2018

THE UNEXPECTED

By Senator John Grant, FL (Retired)

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes, (James 4:13).

It is one of the most beautiful cathedrals in the world and especially known for its pipe organ, the largest in all of Europe, complete with its 17,100 pipes. A sight and sound I had always wanted to witness, now was my chance. Mass was just ending and the organ was playing, as I walked down the center aisle recording sight and sound. I was so happy to get to this item on my bucket list.

Suddenly, without warning, my knees buckled and down I went, my head making full force contact with the 700 year old floor. I was out like a light. I have been known to fall asleep in church, but never taken out on a stretcher. I was taken by ambulance to the local hospital, and awoke sometime later in ICU, my head throbbing and my mind confused. I heard the doctor tell my wife that I had a brain bleed and it was serious. Being more that 4,000 miles from home and with few medical people who spoke English, I don’t mind admitting that I was scared. Survival became far more important than all the things that were important to me just a few hours before.

Would I survive? Would I get home? Would I have permanent impairments? Suddenly I peered at the wall and saw Jesus on a cross. Then I knew that He was in control and all would be okay. I didn’t know how, but I knew it would be okay.

Nearly two weeks later as I progressed through the levels of care and the hemorrhaging stopped, I was released to a hotel and then cleared to fly. Flight arrangements were made and medical personnel came from home to get me.

I stared out the window as we lifted off from Munich and got a little emotional realizing that I was going home at last and flying in a bed rather than a pine box. I smiled and thanked God, and drifted off to sleep.

The journey continues, but gets better each day. I am walking and still have the wonderful chief nurse that I have had taking care of me (my bride) all these weeks. The doctors say I will fully recover and God is still with me each step of the way.

All this has caused us to reprioritize our lives and focus on what is really important. God is more important and the things of the world have taken a back seat. I had never before been in a life threatening situation, but it caused me to do a spiritual check. If I didn’t make it, where would I go? I looked at the cross in my room, put my head back on the pillow and drifted off to sleep knowing all was well. God is good …. all the time.

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SOMETIMES TRUE STORIES

What is wrong with the human race?

We are a pop-listening, suit-wearing and speech-giving group of monkeys on a planet that we don’t completely understand.

We have 10000+ diseases and disorders that cause millions of deaths annually
Colonization on moon has not been possible as of now. Mars is still far
Law and order is still a joke around in various countries. Religious fanaticism is a cherry on that cake
Vices like Corruption, Violence Discrimination, cheating and Human rights violation occur frequently and are well-established as a reality
Our energy requirements are increasing day by day meanwhile depleting the million year old oil reserves. Best thing is, we have no other effective alternative that can really make a difference.
Government propelled agendas towards specific goals only highlight their own territorial situation. The entire world is not their business
We are confused about the creation of human beings. Science has no proof of god’s inexistence and religion has no proof of god’s existence. Either way one doesn’t agree with the other.
Grave Poverty & frequent Unemployment has broken our total capacity for development
Religious conflicts have instilled the intolerance and inter-community hatred
Living spaces like cities and water bodies are getting polluted without any measures for its reversal
Our children are taught wrong principles and their free growth is curbed
Inability of the world leaders to unite and drive the fate of mankind as a whole. Because for politicians only their tenure matters.
We have achieved nothing more than the ability to communicate effectively and control several aspects of the civilization.

I believe that our lives are meant for struggle against the life itself but I don’t get the point of a country or a group of people calling themselves great when the entire life, people linger around ignoring issues and oppression faced by the others of their own race. Our greatness lies in reflecting the best of human interests in our significant actions. Whatever might be the achievement, whatever might be the level of their authority, if they do not prioritize ending the human suffering then nothing they offer is worth value.

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QUOTES YOU CAN USE

You can read about Jesus without knowing Jesus. Ken Whitten

Jesus changes us not on the outside, but on the inside. Ken Whitten

It is about the greatness of God, not the significance of man. God made man small and the universe big to say something about himself. John Piper

Desire that your life count for something great! Long for your life to have eternal significance. Want this! Don’t coast through life without a passion. John Piper

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