Psalm 91
1 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of The Almighty.
2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”
3 Surely He will save you
from the fowler’s snare
and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with His feathers,
and under His wings you will find refuge;
His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
5 You will not fear the terror of night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
nor the plague that destroys at midday.
7A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
8 You will only observe with your eyes
and see the punishment of the wicked.
9 If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,”
and you make the Most High your dwelling,
No harm will overtake you,
no disaster will come near your tent.
11 For He will command His angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways;
12 they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread on the lion and the cobra;
you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
14 “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
15 He will call on me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him
and show him my salvation.”
When the Scriptures begin in Genesis, immediately the Creation story repeats. Interesting. When the Gospels explain God's Will for the Salvation of His Good Creation, to tell to All of Creation, the events parallel or repeat. All during Scriptures, the holy men and women have repeat events, thoughts, difficulties, miracles, praise, prayer and inspiring us to believe The Word of God.
We do this within ourselves. We have repeats. My mother pointed out to me when I was 7 or 8 years old, many people have repeat situations. We were discussing Elizabeth Taylor being married 7 times. Elizabeth Taylor was asked to explain, probably by Merv Griffin on his intense interviews. The quote was: “I don't entirely approve of some of the things I have done, or am, or have been. But I'm me. God knows, I'm me.” And then my mother gave me a history of Hollywood cancelling themselves and careers over things we find in the American History Books. We started next with Princess Leia's, Carrie Fisher's mother, Debbie Reynolds. (See "Postcards from the Edge")
Mother wasn't in favor of all of Elizabeth Taylor's things, but she did approve of her mercy and kindness.
My mother went on to explain people can be surrounded by cancer, or car accidents or divorces or careers that fail. All for various reasons. She included examples of close friends and family. Tragedy to overcome.
My Children's Classic Literature, Professor at Texas A&M University, believed this is indeed a lifelong pattern of life. And she required we begin each class telling of ourselves, this week. Usually, people would come up with something irksome thing. It was a planned and intense trap from a woman who was assertive and combative to hide a merciful personality. Her next position would be, leaning forward to her knee, to glare, take off glasses and ask, "What are you going to do about this, today?" Plan to replan. And the possible solutions were opened to the college class of about 35 adults, to critic. We were further informed this class of hers was a favorite of returning alumni, the solutions of replanning would benefit our entire lives. I do tend to think of her class more than others, definitely.
As a Christian, we know situations aren't always in our control. The good Professor would say, if it is beyond your control, learn to swim with the current and when to stand your ground.
We screamed at our house in Dallas when Kennedy died. When the Cuban Missile Crisis occurred in the Gulf of Mexico. When the Vietnam War ended and Watergate became serious. Victorious, Reagan got the prisoners out of Iran. The Call to Tear Down This Wall. When Bill Clinton proposed, older people should have their Social Security. And my mother quit being Sarah Palin and became anti-Israel.
Three times in life, the news stories have brought my family to Literally Screaming.
I went to the 500th Anniversary Ball for Monte Carlo and went with my Au Pair, who part-time worked for Princess Grace, we sat with the Princess and Prince Albert. And spoke with Princess Grace all the long, long evening. I made the AP wire. French phones rang from America.
Then Mother and I went with our friend Sally on one of our frequent trips to Buffalo, NY and Niagara Falls. We stood forever next to the American Falls, remarking we could reach out, touch the Falls and be pulled over and die. Or break fingers. Saturday morning, I woke up to my mother SCREAMING, the cement, 15 x 15 area, enclosed right up there with the American Falls had fallen, in the night, into the Falls. Erosion had been at work, none of the Civil Engineers had been aware of. Niagara Falls viewing was now closed for months to determine the safety of viewing the Falls. Canadian Falls would be closed that week to determine if the Canadian side was safe from erosion. We had stood there for about an hour, it was a slow tourism day, about 1 pm.
One Friday Evening in 1992, I'd returned a Blockbuster Video to Mockingbird and Central Expressway. I'd felt nervous and began to pray for a safe place to park. In fact, as I arrived, the parking space in front of Blockbuster Video's doors opened up. I pulled in and quickly did the return and hurried home. About 8:30 pm. They closed at 9 pm. And Saturday's headlines were a murder at the Bookstore next door of a Nurse. Who had gone to buy a book on the way home from Baylor Downtown's large Hospital. She was my age. Her murderer was apprehended because he murdered her, carjacked her vehicle and rode around Dallas with her blood coating the inside windows. Her body was found later, while he was in county prison, in the Trinity River.
Another 4th would be, the Friday evening in October 1985, I had been working for Club Corp and returning from LAX Airport to Dallas. That 1985, year, had been the worst in recent decades for air traffic accidents. Texas was experiencing wind shear events. We were flying in and found out the storm had killed 280 people on the runway at DFW. Their airplane had been beating the storm, and before the rain came in, wind shear, literally, threw the plane down 260 feet on a huge tank within 40 feet of the DFW highway and 40 feet from the runway. In sunny skies, with wind and storm approaching. They thought, all of them, they were beating the storm.
October 1985, we were using that same runway. The very first plane to use the runway, within an hour of the wreckage, that was profound. Due to wind, we had to use the runway because it was clear, barely, of the wreckage. It would take almost 4 months to clean the sight. In front of the Highway and the runway during those months.
The last week, we were in Hawaii, viewing cliffs from the top of 3,400 heights. They were large patios, enclosed by metal, heavy fences. At one point, a woman tripped on a small staircase and there was screaming. The screaming really caught my attention. My first point to look for was the exit. I took my photos and proceeded back to the parking lot. Watching parent coax young children to the metal, heavy fences. Time to go home.
We started to the airplane. Unfortunately, we had chosen to have another day and were traveling after midnight, and due to time change, to be awake all night flying. News came of President Trump's verdict. 34 counts. Of many injustices.
And we arrived at midnight at LAX. Waited a few hours and boarded to home. As we got to Texas, a storm had come up. No problem, we would simply beat the storm and fly into the airport. Good, that would work. And as we descended, we were informed IAH had shut down incoming and exiting aircraft due to heavy wind shear. Suddenly, we were up and circling Houston. Not such a great view to see such a storm with 75 mph winds. I began to think we needed to land, "elsewhere." Really. I planned Lake Charles. Good. Baton Rouge. Good. And we were moving ON. And in fact, landed in Shreveport, Louisiana. Wow. I like Shreveport and I can tell you it is amazingly verdant with large trees. Many, many, many large trees. Very, very green. Lovely. Lovely. Lovely. Beautiful!
Life does make us face circumstances and events. And we are, eventually, better for the experiences. We learn to feel secure and joyful. To pray faster. Hopefully with more faith, assurance and please Jesus Christ.
The one thing this Nation has had is honesty. We all hope this will begin to reassert this in our lives. Nationally. Financially. Socially. In News Facts in stories. Without bull.
This is a praying, believing Nation. I do not see how the National fabric can successfully change to bizarre fiction instead of rationality. We are the People who are stubborn and hardworking, with a long history of determination in God, family and faith.
Keep Praying. God is there.
Comforting to see many quote the Scripture upon their heart, mind and hopes. Expectations. Activism is showing.
Abba, Father,
Almighty God, our heavenly Father,
guide the nations of the world
into the way of justice and truth,
and establish among
them that peace which is the fruit of righteousness,
that they
may become the Kingdom of our Lord
and Savior Jesus Christ.
Amen.
The Safety of one
who has faithfully
served this Nation.
And is Loved.
Eternal God,
in whose perfect Kingdom no sword is drawn
but the sword of righteousness,
no strength known but the
strength of Love:
So mightily spread abroad your Spirit,
that
all peoples
may be gathered under the banner
of the Prince of Peace,
as children of one Father;
to whom be dominion
and
glory, now and forever.
Amen.
Dwell in us, Father,
we ask in the Highest Name of Jesus.
Dwell, fully, in those we love
Help us to seek You
first
and we will finish well
in Jesus Christ.
We pray
Peace
for Israel
and Your Good Creation.
Continued Healing
and all Good Health!
Very Grateful for the help
we have received from each other
and God's Salvation.
VERY GRATEFUL
for all the help we have had.
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