For those of you who don’t know about the murders in Turkey, I will fill you in. several men who worked at a bible printing and distributing company in turkey went to church one sunday morning. while the men were there, several non-believers came into the church and began to torture the believers. when a man came to the church and found it locked, he became suspisous and called the police. the men were caught in the act, but it was too late for the believers. during the funeral, the men’s wives spoke about how she forgave her husbands murderer, and even prayed for him. wow!
This story has been a close one to my heart ever since it has happened. Perhaps it is because I traveled to Turkey last summer, and became friends many turkish people. (her’s a picture of me in one of the mosques on the left)The people there hold a very dear place in my heart, there cutoms have become so memerable to me, and it hurts me to see them hurt. Although many people I met were not effected by these deaths, some of the people I met were very close friends with the men who died, and with the grieving widows and fiance. I have gotten many updates from many of them, and I am so encouraged!
why, you may ask? God is using this seemingly devestating thing to draw many people to himself! what satan thought would kill and stop the spread of the word has made people think about God, strengthen believers, and spread the word far beyond the country it took place in. More people are seeking comfort because of the recent news, and finding the only way to get it is through the living water! PTL!
It is an great reminder that God uses everything to the better good of mankind, and his perfect plan. When colomibine students were shot, satan thought he could cause havok and hurt people. little did he know that Cassie Barnell adn other’s would offer such a testomony in death that she would reach hundreds of people with God’s truth and love while she went home to him! Satan likes to whisper lies into each of our heads, saying, ‘look at this terrible thing that has happened, where was God” or ” you can’t make a differnce, I can stop you”. but the truth is, you have to keep your eye out for the goodness God is bringing. If we keep our focous on him, then it is so much easier to see, even if it is much after the events occur, why God allowed something to happen. I choose to look and see the ways he is working, not the ways in which I WANT him to work, and let him make things beautiful as he chooses. After all, i could have never painted a sunset across the waters like this, but he is so much bigger and wiser than I could ever be.
