Craig Clouston

 Unsuspecting Martyrs

October 8

Isaac spoke up and said … ”Father?”

Genesis 22:7

Gabriel watched in horror as the woman in front of him pulled into

oncoming traffic. He wasn’t sure whether it was a mistake or intentional. And

there wasn’t much he could do to stop it from happening. Honking his horn for

lack of another option, Gabriel prayed she wouldn’t be hit.

The first two oncoming vehicles reacted instinctively, slamming on their

brakes and swerving to miss her. Those following closely behind were faced

with snap judgments. Many responded defensively, pulling over in time to

allow the wrong-way vehicle to pass by, unharmed yet unyielding.

Gabriel watched as car after car avoided her. Then, without warning, the

woman pointed her car right at the overpass abutment and slammed into it at

somewhere around seventy miles an hour.

Paramedics responded quickly but were unable to save the woman. She had

not been wearing her seatbelt and had been ejected through the windshield.

State patrol investigators later determined the woman was mentally unstable.

They found a suicide note on the passenger seat, the distraught woman saying

she could no longer live without her children. Further investigation revealed

they had been killed in an accident seven years before. She had been driving.

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Life can be cruel. And many suffer for reasons not of their own making.

Just like Isaac, this woman’s children did not ask for their fate. Yet trag-

edies happen, and we must do our best to deal with the loss.

But what of the unsuspecting martyr and what of those times we suffer

when we feel it isn’t fair? Jesus told us we would have trials in this world. He

did not make the statement to scare us, rather to prepare us to choose how we

will respond as we meet life’s trials in our walk with Him.

If we find ourselves walking a road full of peace and prosperity, walk in

grace. If, however, we find ourselves on a road marked with sorrow and grief,

walk in communion with God, trusting Him to go through it with you.

Prayer

“Walk with me, Lord. Help me cope with the troubles

of today. Show me how to be gracious in the good times

and to lean on You in the bad. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”