Don't Wait Any Longer

I have been silent on this (at least in the blog world) as long as I can... there have been several posts that have discussed this horrible incident and I have had nothing new to add.

I am broken hearted for the families of those who were murdered, for the friends of those who lost their lives, for the people that those lives might have impacted. I am sad for Cho and his family too. It seems easy to get angry and I think I probably would had it been my child or my friend, but the truth is this guy was a lost, hurting kid too.

Where does it end? Death and violence have surrounded us. Maybe it has been there all along and we have just become oblivious to it until something of this magnitude happens. Does it have to be worse and worse every time for us to notice? God, I hope not. The truth is that people are dying everyday, every minute. What are we doing about them? How are we celebrating their lives, or reaching out to the person next to us not knowing what tomorrow brings?

If nothing else, I hope that it moves us to action. Those of us who are followers of Jesus have got to act NOW. There is an urgency behind what we have been called to do. Lives are at stake and there is no time to lose, no time to wait until we've got our ducks in a row. God has called us to love those around us like there is no tomorrow.

If you've been waiting to talk to someone, to mend a relationship, to start a relationship, or to share what God has done for you with someone else... don't wait any longer. If you've been waiting to make a connection with Jesus because you just feel like you're good enough or you don't have all the answers yet... don't wait any longer.

If you are a church leader, what are you doing in your church right now to reach those outside of your walls? Those on the inside have already found Jesus; they're already in the lifeboat. What are doing to reach those that don't yet know him?

Sorry about the download, but this is my blog and I just needed to get this stuff out of my head. I haven't been able to stop thinking about it. This sums up why I am so passionate about The Orchard and the way we do church... our focus will always be more about those who don't know Jesus than those who already do. If you already know Jesus, jump on board and get involved in helping us accomplish what God has called us to do. Time is of the essence and every weekend counts because it may be our one and only time to reach, touch, love, or affect someone who is lost.

For those of you who have been involved in life-altering, tragic, heartbreaking situations this week - I'm praying for you. Remember that God is good, He sees more than we see, and He redeems. That is something no one can take away. Scott gave a timely message on this subject last Sunday - who knew (God did... He sees more than I see).

Another great post on this topic, though there are lots.
Thanks for letting me bear my thoughts.

Peace... please.