Tragedy seems to strike at the most unexpected times, and the pain of the loss many times is just unbearable. However once the ashes settle and the mourning has subsided, then it becomes a time to rebuild.

This is what we have seen in history over and over again with catastrophes like Pearl Harbor, The World Trade Center, Tsunamis, Tornados, Earthquakes, Fires, Untimely Death and so many other tragedies.

God has placed inside the human spirit the will to rebuild.

Paul shows us this mindset in 2 Corinthians 4:8, We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.

His attitude was always that of not giving up when tough times hit him. Whenever he was knocked down he always found a way to get up, restart and rebuild.

I was just thinking about that rebuilding process this morning as I pondered my sister just coming out of major back surgery and beginning her healing process.  It’s amazing how the human body quickly and anxiously starts to heal when cut open and the wound reclosed: If it’s in a healthy, sterile environment, the tissues immediately start to adhere and mend.

This is an amazing attribute of God. He is a healer and a rebuilder! When we get hurt or upheaval hits our life, He immediately begins pouring out His love and starts the healing process in our hearts, bodies, minds, and souls. We must keep our hearts open and work with Him.

Sometimes in relationships after an “issue”, some will hold on to grudges and hurts. And then other times we want to sweep it all under the rug so we can just move on.

But hey! Sometimes healing takes time and we must be patient and work with the process when God is trying to start mending. We mustn’t fight it, but at the same time we can’t rush it either.

We experienced this after the pain of losing our son. Some people wanted us to just get over it after several months or even a year, even two, but they just did not understand. First of all you never really “get over” something like this, but in time your brokenness begins to heal and your heart begins to be restored, and rebuilding can begin to take place.

The key? The time factor plus the love factor ~ Both are crucial ingredients in the healing and rebuilding process.

Ecclesiastes 3 says To every thing there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven: a time to be born, a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance…

We need to give each other time in difficult situations. As Ecclesiastes says, time to weep, time to mourn, time to heal and time to rebuild.

I remember going to a Pastor-friend’s church just days after his son was killed in a terrible accident. As we were driving there and praying, the Lord spoke to me and said to tell the people,

You do the lovin’ and God will do the fixin’.

We so often want to try to fix people quickly after a tragic situation, but God is the Fixer and He will take whatever time necessary to heal someone.  However He needs us to do our part ~ showing His love in word and in deed.

That’s one of the many things I love about our church in St. Louis. A devastating flood in 1993 destroyed all but the shell of the church building just six months after we had moved in. In the recovery, hundreds of volunteers from the church not only donated their time to help in the building clean up, but throughout all of Chesterfield Valley as well, including several businesses and homes.

Through this destruction, Service International was birthed as a disaster-relief

branch of our church, which continues to this day, helping others locally and around

the world. Whenever there is a natural disaster, we pray and go in with an army of volunteers to clean up and rebuild with countless amounts of donated money, labor and materials. This shows the love of God in a big way and it allows His healing touch to begin mending broken lives. Halleluiah!

Now dear friends, in conclusion let me first of all say this:

If you have been through a devastating situation in your life,

• Don’t give up but hold on securely to Jesus. This is one thing we have done and still do every day.
• Receive His love because no one can love you like Jesus, and He loves with no judgment at all. He is the healer, and in time He will restore you and begin to rebuild your life.
• Don’t put a timetable on it. Just stay in His presence and His word and He will be faithful to work in your heart and life.

Also, if you know someone who has been through a life-changing hardship,

• Please pray for them and don’t judge them OR their recovery time.
• Give them grace and show them unconditional love.

In doing so you will be a vessel of blessing in their lives and help them find their way to the healing arms of Jesus. 

He makes all things beautiful in His time.

 I love this thought expressed in an old worship song that I grew up with, adapted from scripture. (Ecclesiastes 3:11)   What a perfect “selah” verse!

This month we want to bless you with a very special song free of charge called Beauty for Ashes. I only wish I could give this song to every person who has been through difficulty because it is filled with words of hope and restoration taken from the Scriptures.

Go to our website and enjoy listening to it and then feel free to download it to your digital music library by right clicking with your mouse. 

In fact, it is on our CD Beautiful Hope, which has 12 songs of grace, prayer, and hope. All of these songs were carefully chosen to bring healing to the brokenhearted, lift the downhearted, and to encourage hearts everywhere to come into closer fellowship with God.

We are offering the entire CD this month for $10 each. Please visit our website or call our office for this special offer, as well as your FREE download.

We love you and God Bless you,