A Note From Tom: November 2th, 2012
Hey, everyone!
Hope you're having an awesome…
"PRAISE GOD FROM WHOM ALL BLESSINGS FLOW!
PRAISE HIM ALL CREATURES HERE BELOW!
PRAISE HIM ABOVE YE HEAVENLY HOST!
PRAISE FATHER,S ON, AND HOLY GHOST!
AAAAAAAAMEN!"
Wow! Where'd that come from?!
I usually don't just spontaneously break into the doxology! Spontaneous doxologizing!
I guess it just comes from knowing that sweet little Josiah's doing fine on the other side of our world! Lots of y'all know that Christy's in China helping her sister, Patty and Patrick while they finalize their adoption of Jack, a precious Chinese orphan. Then fatigue and jet-lag turned into viruses, which turned into fevers, vomiting, and chills for their seven year old Josiah, which turned into seizures, brain swelling, real danger, and almost a tragic ending. By Tuesday morning at 6:00 when we received the news of the dire and frightening turn for the worst, a bunch of us were calling out to our Lord for the whole family!
As the day dawned and the news spread, so many of you all were asking our Lord to not let this story end in the sad way…
Pottsie, Lee, and I let a stinky, dank, roomful of dudes in oranges ill-fitting outfits in Unit Five of the Anderson County Detention Center know that we needed them and their help. "There's a little dude we need to lift up to God right now. He's sick and getting sicker. He can't get much sicker before it'll be too late. Would you guys help us call out to God for Josiah?"
And they sure did! Brothers behind bars helping their little brother under the stars on the world's other side. Guys in trouble, caring for a little guy in trouble. The Body of Christ being His Body. Most important thing to happen in that jail this week, I bet!
Guys in the Morgan County Penitentiary were saying Josiah's name as well on the next day! Wow! When you count up all the years some of the folks who cared about Josiah this week either HAD BEEN or WILL BE incarcerated, it's probably ten to twenty times the number of years he's been on earth!
As Garth Brooks sang, Josiah's "got friends in low places"!
Tina was at the Norris Craft Guild on Tuesday, weaving on ancient looms with all her weaving buddies. It's an eclectic, mixed group of folks. All over the map, spiritually. As she shared her heart with tears for her desperately sick little friend, they all just decided to bow and pray together for Josiah. When they were done, one of Tina's friends turned to another and said, "I didn't know y'll Unitarians ever pray!"
"Sometimes we do,:" said the other one.
Folks were calling out Josiah's name across America and even around the world! Our missionaries were praying and Lee's "flock" who follow his blog from the Philippines, to Scotland, to New Zealand were praying for their little brother they'd never met!
And our Lord did what only He can do!
By late in the evening of Tuesday, we received the text we hoped would come! "…Josiah's awake, stable…asking for Paba. Doing better! Praise the Lord!"
Yesterday we got this…"Just heard from Christy that Josiah was up playing with toys and that he just ate an apple and a hard boiled egg! PTL!…It's a beautiful day!"
Yes it is!!
You know, "doxology" comes from two Greek words. The "-logy" part comes from a word that means… well, words! and the "doxe" means "glory" or "something about God that you may not see always, but you always believe". Such as…
...We believe that God is always good.
...We believe that He is Love!
...We believes He's in control of everything!
...We believe He always knows what's best!
...We believe His plan is perfect!
And it helps to says these things about Him with words!
Sometimes, when He lets tears stain our face and pain fill our broken heart, as He has done to us in recent days…
Sometimes when in His infinite wisdom and love He says, "No, My precious child…" when we beg Him for things and for those we love more than words can say…
…there comes a day when it does help to say, "And yet, these are the things I believe about You…
…I believe You know best.
…I believe You are love.
…in my pain and with a broken heart I say these words about You...
...I believe You are always, and will always be, good."
These days will come to us all. If they haven't come to you yet, they will.
But there WILL be other days!
For all of us! There will be other days so good and hopeful and full of joy and relief from heaven, that we can't help but sing…
Praise God from Whom all blessings flow!
Praise Him all creatures here below!
Praise Him above ye heavenly host!
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost!!
Amen!