Chastened

"I never travel on 35W, especially since the construction started"
"It's too hard to get from our exit over to the Crosstown through all the lanes"
"How can you stand that commute everyday?"

WIMPS, I SAY!

Then, BAM! Our brand new van's rearend got rearended. Hard. By a bigass Dodge Durango. Ouch. So tomorrow, Sienna goes to the van hospital for a few days. We get a free rental out of the deal, and my chiropractic and massage treatments are covered for the duration of the healing process. Fortunately the boys weren't with me ... the system works, and already my back is a lot better ... but dang. I didn't need this right now.

On a much larger scale, this theme of being chastened by the hard realities of life is playing out in the lives of my fellow pastor Rolf Olson and his family as they mourn the tragic death of their beautiful daughter Catherine. Catherine had answered a Crag's list ad for a Nanny job, went to the interview, and was brutally murdered by the 19 year old sicko who placed the ad. I cannot imagine the anguish this family is going through.

Some weeks ago, our neighbor, Mark Loesch was randomly murdered as he took a late night ride on his bicycle. There are no leads. Just a man beat to death for going out on his bike, and a family that is, I'm sure beaten down with grief.

How careful do we need to be? How full of evil is this world? Not that I in anyway compare my little fender bender with these tragedies, but, I just want to say, it is sick that we must not only drive defensively, but LIVE defensively. I didn't know Catherine at all, and I only knew Mark in a neighborly sort of way ... but their lives and their spirits that live on attest to the fact that they would rather we live DEFIANTLY in their honor. It is so tempting to become timid when you witness the random evil of this world ... Jesus advised us: 'Be as wise as serpants and as innocent as doves ...' that's as sound advice as one can ask for in days like these.

Say a prayer for the families of Catherine and Mark ... and be bold! Be strong! For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.