January Reflections & Inner Warmth

God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” (Genesis 1:28 NIV)

A Chilly Start

News reports coming in from all across the northern hemisphere are saying pretty much the same thing: cities throughout much of North America, Europe, and Asia are experiencing one of the coldest starts to a new year in some time. Even though I am also enduring unusually cold weather in my area of the world (Raleigh, NC) this sort of news brings a smile to my face for one reason: God is in firm control.

What does the weather have to do with God you say? Quite a bit, actually.

We have been hearing dire predictions for more than a decade that the earth is heating up and if we do not do something about it we will all die. Or at least we may end up owning waterfront property one hundred miles away from current shorelines when the ice cap melts; vicious, but cute polar bears drown; and summer shows up in February.

Yes, a bit of exaggeration on my part, but then what have we been spoon fed for so many years? Calamity, destruction, and despair.

Please do not take me wrong: the earth is not about to implode or explode because of something that we do. Certainly, we should be good stewards of the earth, but getting weird about it and believing unsubstantiated reports about a perilous future is not only unhealthy, but it puts the responsibility of managing this planet squarely in our hands. Alone.

God certainly gave Adam and his heirs lordship over the earth and everything in it, but our role is in partnership with God, not apart from Him. Besides, can we control the weather, keep the earth at its perfect 23.44 degree tilt, control sunspot activity, or anything else? No, and we must realize that our partnership with God is opposite of what some people believe – He controls the tides, the rotation of the earth, and everything else. We are to cooperate and pray for His guidance.

I apologize for my rant as it isn’t the reason why I am sharing with you today. But I do believe that God has a sense of humor and that this cold blast is a reminder to everyone that pundits and prognosticators are often wrong, especially when they leave Him out of the equation.

Instead, I want to offer to you some feedback on the year end efforts of a number of ministries to help people in need.

Shoe Boxes Delivered

On Christmas Eve I received some wonderful news: Operation Christmas Child (Samaritan’s Purse) delivered the four shoebox gifts my family made to children in the Ukraine. We know this because as I mentioned in November, you could add a tracking code to your boxes to get a better idea where your gifts were going. Once delivered, OCC promised to send an email notifying givers of the same.

Interestingly, my wife’s distant relatives left the Ukraine more than a century ago and ended up in the United States. Formerly a USSR republic, the Ukraine has its share of poverty and is home to Chernobyl, the nuclear plant that blew up and radiated a portion of that country in 1986. I love how God brings things full circle!

Helping At Risk Kids

Angel Tree works with donors to provide gifts for children of incarcerated adults who typically have no way of buying presents for Christmas. Just before Christmas, Angel Tree put out a press release explaining that some 50,000 children still hadn’t been helped, appealing to people to make a donation.

Word Journey shared this news with our readers and I am happy to report that although Angel Tree still didn’t receive full support this year, the organization tapped other funds to make sure that no child was left without a gift. Thus, some 400,000 children were blessed this past Christmas thanks to your support and the decision of Angel Tree to find a way when the going was difficult. Praise God!

Angel Tree paid a price for helping children this past Christmas – much of the funds tapped were set aside to fund its operation for 2010. Therefore, if you are being lead to help, your gift now will be used to replenish what has been spent.

Red Kettle Campaign

The Salvation Army’s Red Kettle campaigns help homeless people; offers a safe have for at risk kids; provides elderly services; assists recovering drug addicts; and offers other services through donations made at local kettles as well as online. The Salvation Army says that more than 25,000 volunteers staff kettles across the country, helping the group raise money to fund a variety of campaigns. In 2008, $130 million was raised globally, thanks to spare change given by passersby as well as funds contributed to their online campaign.

Locally, several Salvation Army chapters reported shortfalls for the campaign which begins on Thanksgiving and ends on Christmas Eve. If you still want to give you can make a donation online or if you have certain in-kind gifts you would like to donate, then call (800) 728-7825 to schedule a pick up.

Photo Credit: BSK

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