Eyes on Japan, Hearts on Him

"Dear Lord,
We're still hoping we'll wake up. We're still hoping we'll open a sleepy eye and think, What a horrible dream.
But we won't, will we, Father? What we saw was not a dream. Earthquakes did happen. Tsunami waves did wash away whole villages. People did perish. It was no dream and, dear Father, we are sad.
There is a rice farmer who will no longer plant and a doctor who will no longer heal. A church
has lost her priest, a classroom is minus a teacher. There was one that was captain of a fishing boat, another was a clerk at the local grocery store and yet another, dearest Father, another one that was just a baby stripped from her mother's arms as the flood waters rushed upon them.
We are sad, Father. For as the innocent are buried beneath water and debris, our innocence is buried as well. We thought we were safe. Perhaps we should have known better. But we didn't.
And so we come to you. We don't ask you for help; we beg you for it. We don't request it; we
implore it. We know what you can do. We've read the accounts. We've pondered the stories and
now we plead, Do it again, Lord. Do it again.
Remember Joseph? You rescued him from the pit. You can do the same for us. Do it again, Lord.
Remember the Hebrews in Egypt? You protected their children from the angel of death. We have
children, too, Lord. Do it again.
And Sarah? Remember her prayers? You heard them. Joshua? Remember his fears? You inspired
him. The women at the tomb? You resurrected their hope. The doubts of Thomas? You took
them away. Do it again, Lord. Do it again.
You changed Daniel from a captive into a king's counselor. You took Peter the fisherman and
made him Peter an apostle. Because of you, David went from leading sheep to leading armies.
Do it again, Lord, for we need counselors today, Lord. We need apostles. We need leaders. Do it
again, dear Lord.
Do It Again, Lord

Most of all, do again what you did at Calvary. What we saw here on that Thursday, you saw there
on that Friday.  Innocence destroyed. Goodness washed away. Mothers weeping. Evil rejoicing. Just
as the waters splashed over the tv screens we have been glued to, the darkness fell on your Son. Just as families and towns were shattered, the very Son of Eternity was pierced.
And by dusk, heaven's sweetest song was silent, buried behind a rock.
But you did not waver, O Lord. You did not waver. After three days in a dark hole, you rolled the
rock and rumbled the earth and turned the darkest Friday into the brightest Sunday. Do it again,
Lord. Grant us another Easter.
We thank you, dear Father, for these hours of unity. Disaster has done what discussion could
not. Doctrinal fences have fallen.Republicans are standing with Democrats. Skin colors have been
covered by mud and debris. We thank you for these hours of unity.
And we thank you for these hours of prayer. The Enemy seeks to bring us to our knees and he has succeeded. He has no idea, however, that we kneel before you. And he has no idea what You
can do.
Let your mercy be upon the country of Japan and those who still seek to find loved ones. Grant to those who
lead them wisdom beyond their years and experience. Have mercy upon the souls who have departed and the wounded who remain. Give us grace that we might help in some way and faith that we might believe.
And look kindly upon your church. For two thousand years you've used her to heal a hurting
world.
Do it again, Lord. Do it again.
Through Christ,
Amen."
(this was originally a prayer that Max Lucado wrote after 9/11, after I changed a few words, it is still very appropriate!)

None of us can get the images we are seeing out of our heads. We try, but once there, God will not let us. He wants us to remember. He wants us to be praying. He wants us to realize how short life is and just how fragile. None of us are promised tomorrow.
I'm praying for those who have yet to trust in Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour. I'm praying that the church of God can be a light to this dark world. May He work through us to make a difference in the world that we are passing through. And let me tell you, life is more than the journey! Its the ultimate destination that we live for and that is to live in Heaven where we can praise our Lord 24/7 with folks from every tribe and every nation!  What a time that will be!
So today, as those images from Japan rush through your mind's eye once again, hug your loved ones, tell them you love them, and then go shine His light in this dark world! and if His light is not in you, ask Him to put it there, He will. He is always faithful, all we need to do is believe. And if His light is just a flicker in your life today, take some time and just spend it with Him, in His word and talking with Him and before you know it, that light will be brightly shining and glorifying His great name once again!  Do it again, Lord, do it again!