Month: August 2016

Come Hell or High Water

/ Morgan Grace Hart / Leave a comment

Many of you may or may not know that I reside in Louisiana. Well, the flood here has been severe, and watching the reaction to it has brought my thoughts in several directions.

First, I am absolutely floored by how well locals have coordinated and come together to help. The stories of valor are countless, with many people risking life and property for the sake of total strangers. In a Summer of American unrest, the people here have truly been “a city on a hill”, for the rest of the world to see what Jesus meant when He said, “love your neighbor as yourself”.

Second, it is my prayer that Baton Rouge, in particular, experience healing from this devastation. Just a few months ago, I had no idea how they would ever resolve the conflict between civilians and police officers there. Though it may not be worth the price it took – loss of life, business, and property – there is now an opportunity to soften the relations. Civilians and police have been forced to unite for survival, and police, being first responders, have a chance to be heroes again. I don’t know for sure that this will change things forever, but I’m asking everyone, please lift them up in prayer, that this calamity might be the start of true peace.

Third, I have become so conscious of how many petty thoughts disappear when there is a need for survival. God “sends rain on the just and on the unjust too”, and people I might have disregarded otherwise have now become human to me. As people look for lost family members, so many of the photos they are circulating are just whatever image they could get off their phone the fastest. Thus, images of people unkempt, or stoned, or showing off some dumb-looking tattoo, are a lot of what’s going around. These are pictures that, at a better time, I might have been tempted to write a meme about, but the catastrophe has made them significant to me. Suddenly they are someone I need to spread the word about, I need to make sure they’re safe, found, and whole. God, what a good world it would be if I could make myself care this same way about people when there wasn’t a disaster around.

God bless everyone, and keep the prayers coming. Louisiana Strong.

Scriptures:
Matthew 5:14-16
James 2:8-9 and Matthew 22:37-40
Matthew 5:45

I recommend:
Peacewithgod.net – a free prayer service and description of salvation
Biblegateway.com – a free online Bible

Stalling Out

/ Morgan Grace Hart / 1 Comment

This I the shortest story I’ll ever tell on this blog.

The other day, thinking over some of the arguments I’ve heard against God, I had  one of those moments of arrogance I often have, when I think to myself that I’ll think not as a Christian but as a “smart”, worldly person. In arrogance I thought to myself, “maybe they’re right. But I don’t care if I die and I find out God isn’t real, I’ll still be glad that I spent my adult life in the faith.” It’s a true sentiment, but it came not from gratitude for the Christian life, but from a desire to weaken the laws of my own religion in exchange for sounding a little “smarter”, a little more “logical”. Well, right then and there, my car stalled out for just a moment, preventing me from merging into the lane that I immediately thereafter realized had a speeding car passing through my blind spot. Guess God is still real, and still in charge, and resistant to being put underfoot, even if just intellectually.

God bless you, and have a good weekend.

Psalm 46:1-6 God is our refuge and strength, a tested help in times of trouble. And so we need not fear even if the world blows up and the mountains crumble into the sea. Let the oceans roar and foam; let the mountains tremble! There is a river of joy flowing through the city of our God—the sacred home of the God above all gods. God himself is living in that city; therefore it stands unmoved despite the turmoil everywhere. He will not delay his help. The nations rant and rave in anger—but when God speaks, the earth melts in submission and kingdoms totter into ruin.
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For a full explanation of salvation and access to a 24-hour prayer partner, try peacewithgod.net

For a free online Bible, try biblegateway.com