I don’t know about you, but there are days I hate to turn on the radio or television because I know I am about to be bombarded with ‘bad’ news.

The economy the world over is in pretty bad shape. There are tornadoes, earthquakes, floods and other natural disasters that are claiming lives, jobs, homes, and possessions.

Then, of course, there is the violence in our society. Each and every morning, the news media reports shootings and killings. And if that isn’t bad enough, there is behavior such as occurred in Canada because fans were upset when their hockey team was defeated.

Do you ever wonder, as I do, what is happening in our world today?

I know that perhaps how we live has an influence upon nature and it may be that lifestyle is responsible for some of the natural disasters that occur.

But, I surely don’t understand the behavior of people. Do you?

I’ll admit I love my sports teams also. I am disappointed and dismayed when they can’t seem to win. I’d like them always to be at the top of the heap. But it doesn’t happen. I want those Cardinals to play like they ‘can’ and wonder why when one day they are on top, they suddenly go into a slump that seems unending. I’m disappointed but I find myself aware that for them it must be much worse. I know they’d rather be winning.

I can’t seem to get the people of Joplin out of my mind. I am proud of churches and communities for the assistance they are offering.

Have you tried to put yourself into the mind of someone who has survived such a horrendous disaster?

You have no home, no car, perhaps no job if that place was destroyed also.

Perhaps you have insurance, but you need to call the company because you can’t find any of your business papers, not even your checkbook, your billfold or purse.

Where will you stay? What will you do for clothing and food? Will you still have a job? If you car was also destroyed, how will you get about? The questions are endless. And most of all, you must be feeling empty, alone, and very frightened for the future.

I think you would be numb. You would be so thankful for your life but you just wouldn’t know how to ‘begin all over’. Where would you start?

We all have problems. We all suffer pain and loss. But for some the tragedies that strike are so much worse.

I sometimes wonder why I am so blessed. I remember a friend once saying that she kept ‘waiting for the other shoe to drop’ because she knew her happiness just couldn’t last.

I have lived many years and not all of them were ‘wonderful’ but all offered the chance to ‘overcome’ and keep on ‘keeping on’.

Would I have that spirit to move ahead in faith if I was as devastated by violence in my life…either by individuals or nature?

I would hope so, but I don’t know. But I recently read something that spoke to this question.

It was in a devotional that spoke of Jesus’ ministry…how for a time everyone flocked to Him to hear His message and often for His healing. But when the end came, most all deserted Him. Even those who had been with Him and were aware personally of all He had done. Fear made them flee when the end came.

But…and this is a really big but. The end wasn’t the end at all, but the revelation of something far bigger than anyone could imagine. It may have been what people deemed the end. But instead it was the ‘gift of salvation’.

So perhaps what we deem the ‘end’, when the pain and loss is so great, isn’t the end. Maybe there is another ‘chapter’ to come. It is beyond my comprehension, but then my mind can’t begin to grasp the magnitude and power that my God has.

But, this one thing I do know. And an article I read stated it so clearly and positively. “Jesus did not come to make life easy. He came to make life eternal.”

And it is upon that promise that you and I can rely and because of that we can ‘keep on keeping on’. That is one promise we know will never be broken.