A Letter No One Wants

-Want to really impress your sweetheart for Valentines, go rock Climbing together. Seriously, what better can you do than to LOCK ON THE ROCK together?
-The guy in the picture is doing something I can only wish to be able to do. One thing for sure, the Rock he's holding isn't going anywhere - his job is to hang on. Sometimes hanging onto Christ, our Rock, comes easier than at other times. Sometimes the wind blows enough to remind us to hang on tighter - and sometimes a flood tries to wash us away. Eligah had such a moment in 1 Kings 19. He was scared, discouraged, and running for his life, and for good reason. The Lord said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by" (11). And He did... and He revived Eligah's spirit and sent him off to anoint Elisha to follow in his steps.
-When I think about my personal Rock climbing I have to say that my grip gets stretched by much less than a government death warrant like Eligah had. Sometimes it's more about my perspective than reality. Here is a letter written in recent days by Simon Parfit, missionary in Cameroon, regarding his young son, Jim. Cameroon is an impoverished French speaking nation on the West coast of Africa. See if it helps with the perspective thing.
Dearest Dad and Mom: We would like to inform you that baby Jim has just passed away. It was last Friday. We tried to send you email but no connection. He started with a diarrhea last Tuesday. We went to the hospital and they find out on Wednesday when I went with him that he was suffering of worm and malaria. They prescribed medicines that we struggled to buy. Then on Thursday he has again Diarrhea and became weak. It is true that we did not have any money but we borrowed some and went with him to the hospital and there they prescribed another medicine as they were not any in the hospital. So I went to buy it,when I returned Jim was gone. We are begging you to pray for us please and we trust God to strengthen us in this trial through your prayers. Simon and Nadege
-Roland Moshen, our missionary in Paris, France, helps this family out as best they can. This is a case of a struggle between having money available and the hospital having the right medications as well as not being able to understand the seriousness of the son's illness. Simon's regular support monies are hand carried into the country at great risk to the carrier, because Simon's work is not welcomed by the government.
-Has your hold on the Rock been tested by our economy? Really? Health care system concerns got you straining to hold on? Visit any other country. Maybe Simon and Nadege Parfit's climb will encourage each of us to give thanks for the Rock and the path we've been BLESSED to have. Jesus came to save us from our sins. He gave us the Lord's Supper, a community meal to share every week in Matthew 26 - to reinforce our hold on the Rock, our Savior.