Day 60--My Plea

I am writing with a heavy heart tonight.  I read something late this afternoon, and I just can't get it off of my mind.  It, like other trials I have witnessed, felt, and read about, has really made me take a look at my life and strive to put things into perspective.  It forces me to take a good, hard look at things in my own life that I worry about and concern myself with that are simply petty or frivolous.

My local "Penny Saver" came in the mail today.  It's just a small newspaper that has ads, employment opportunities, and items for sale or trade.  I was standing at the kitchen counter flipping through it.  Was there anything I needed? 

Towards the middle of the Penny Saver, in the top right hand corner of a page was a family photo.  It caught my eye because the family in the photo was just beautiful!  The husband and wife were seated on a rock ledge outdoors.  Sitting in front of them were three precious children.  The little girl had long, blonde hair, and her two brothers were dark-headed.  This family was all-smiles!  It even made me smile, so I read the small print beneath the picture.  It read something like this:

"Benefit for the Barry Family."

Oh no!  I knew that wasn't good, so I began to read the article underneath.  While reading, my eyes filled with tears.  Their story goes something like this:

The family of five, the Barry's, traveled out of state for 4th of July weekend.  While driving back home to New York, they were involved in a head-on collision.  The parents of these three adorable children were killed instantly.  Their sons, ages 9 and 12 are both paralyzed.  Their daughter, age 6, escaped without harm. 
This picture perfect family of five is now a family of only three.  As their sons are trying to cope with their paralysis, they are also faced with the brutal fact that their mom and dad are dead.  The two people in this world who could comfort them the most are gone...forever.  The little sister is my son's age.  I just stared at her picture.  I literally had to look away.  This little baby's heart is aching for her mommy and daddy as she watches her big brothers hurting and trying to heal...and grieve. 

How can they get through this?  Honestly, I can't fathom the emotions, grief, and ache that they are feeling.  It physically hurts me to think about. 

I immediately began to pray for the Barry kids.  I stopped everything and took this situation to Jesus.  Yes, this accident was allowed to happen.  Yes, Jesus knows that these kids are missing their parents and grieving in ways that I can't even imagine.  He knows the pain and fear that the brothers are facing as they are now paralyzed.  He knows all of this, and it grieves Him.  He loves these babies.  They are HIS. 

We live in a fallen world.  Unfortunatley, bad things happen to good people.  Sometimes, it seems that I go through weeks where all I hear about are situations where bad things are happening to good people, and good things are happening to bad people. I often become furious and frustrated because my human mind just can't wrap my itself around this.  Even so, it can't be changed.  Life is full of ups and downs and everything in between, and not one of us is exempt from that.

As soon as my husband walked in the door from work I asked him to read the Barry's story.  He just shook his head.  He didn't even know what to say.  I requested that he keep these kids in his heart and in his mind.  Every single time he thought of them, he should stop and pray for them.  I asked the same of my 17-year-old daughter.  I didn't just casually come across that article by coincidence.  I was led to that article because I firmly believe that I am supposed to be on my knees, several times daily, in prayer for these kids.  They are "every" family...a mom, dad, kids, and lots of love.

I looked around at my house and my "to do" list.  None of it seemed to matter.  Today I have worried about the fact that I ate a little too much, I had planned on cleaning the bathrooms, but didn't, and I have three large boxes in my bedroom that are still unpacked, even though we moved here two months ago.  Seriously...I spend a substantial amount of my day fretting over these FRIVOLOUS issues!  They didn't seem frivolous at the time, but they certainly do now. 
Overeating, messy bathrooms, and unpacked boxes pale in comparison to what the Barry siblings are experiencing right now.  I feel so guilty for all of the worry, stress, and useless thought that I dedicate so much of my time to, and I should. 
Here is the problem:  There are many "Barry's" all over the world.  Children and adults are suffering in ways that I can't even fathom.  People with "real" problems are in everywhere.  People who are faced with such grief that they are simply frozen...unable to move, probably live within a mile or two of all of us!   I hear of these stories, and I promise myself that I will "quit sweating the small stuff."  Then, time passes, and I am doing a whole lot of sweating again, and it is almost always over frivolous issues.

I want the Barry's to be my reminder.  I want them to remind me of the frailty of life.  I don't want a single day to pass without telling my friends and family how much they mean to me.  I never want anything to go unsaid. 
The Barry's will also remind me, each day, to do my best to keep things in perspective.  I am only human, so this will be a challenge; however, I want to do better.  I want to put my frivolous worries to rest. 

I check my blog stats a couple of times per week.  I can log on and view the number of viewers that each blog post has received, and the total number of viewers since I began my blog 60 days ago.  I am overwhelmed with gratitude at the number of people, many of which I am sure I have never even met, who follow my blog and choose to share life's ups and downs with me.  It truly blesses me.

I am using my blog tonight as a plea.  I am thankful to have individuals who read this blog because it allows me not only to honestly share my random thoughts, activities in my daily life, and ideas, but it also allows me to make requests.  I am requesting prayers for the Barry siblings, ages 6, 9, and 12.  Please, every time you think of them, stop for a moment to pray blessings over their little lives.  Pray that the Lord will send people into their lives who will mentor them and love them unconditionally.  Pray that this accident will not lead to bitterness of any kind.  Pray for physical healing for the brothers, and please pray for emotional healing for all three.  Please pray that they will love the Lord with their whole hearts, and trust and believe that He is a loving God.  He is their Heavenly Father. 

Thank you, Lord, for wrapping Your arms around these babies.  I pray that even in their darkest hour they will feel You.  I pray that they will never feel alone because they will call on You and You will answer them.  I pray that the Barry siblings will grow to be mighty in You.  They will be bold in their faith.  Father, I thank you that these kids will experience Your peace; the kind of peace that is unexplainable in difficult, or even what seem like impossible situations.  Jesus, I thank you that I have individuals reading this blog who will put the Barry kids on their prayer lists and lift them up each day in prayer.  I thank you that you love us unconditionally...even when we question occurrences in life that just do not seem fair to us.  Thank you for your grace and mercy.

Amen.